Japan's ruling party to hold leadership vote after Abe's sudden resignation

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will elect its new president following an unexpected resignation by the party's leader and longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will elect its new president following an unexpected resignation by the party's leader and longest-serving Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe.

The ruling party's top pick will then be confirmed as Prime Minister by a special session of the country's parliament, the National Diet, on Wednesday. The new Prime Minister is set to keep the office until a regular LDP leadership election that will take place until the end of September 2021.

Abe's loyal supporter and chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide, is widely seen as the frontrunner, with Japanese media reporting that he has managed to secure the backing of key factions within the LDP.

The list of election hopefuls also includes former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.

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