The outcome of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's upcoming leadership election is likely to be heavily influenced by the votes of rank-and-file party members and supporters across the country, which total 295, equal to the number of lawmaker votes.
It is difficult for candidates in the Oct. 4 leadership race to reach over 1 million party members nationwide in a short time frame, and observers suggest this would favor agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 44, and former economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, 64, both of whom already enjoy high name recognition.
For the race to pick the successor of outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, former LDP Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi, 69, and former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 50, have already declared their candidacies. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, 64, as well as Takaichi and Koizumi are also preparing to run.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.