The Liberal Democratic Party’s presidential election takes place Friday, with three front-runners emerging from a field of nine in a race that will decide the country’s next prime minister.
Former LDP Secretary-General Shigeru Ishiba, 67, economic security minister Sanae Takaichi, 63, and former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, 43, are locked in a three-way battle for an election where a runoff vote between the top two vote-getters in the initial round — required if no one captures a majority — is expected.
In the final days of a campaign that began Sept. 12, Ishiba, Takaichi, and Koizumi have maintained a clear lead over other rivals, garnering significant support from both the 368 LDP parliamentarians as well as the 368 votes proportionally assigned to rank-and-file party members.
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