Japan ruling party elects leader

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Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is due to elect a new leader to replace Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Whoever wins is virtually guaranteed to become Japan's next prime minister, as the LDP and its coalition colleagues control both houses of parliament.

Chief Cabinet Secretary and top government spokesman Shinzo Abe has been the front-runner from the start.

The LDP has governed Japan almost without interruption since 1955.

Though broadly conservative, it contains competing factions who field candidates for the top job.

Correspondents say that this time, though, Mr Abe has what looks like an unassailable lead over his rivals.

'Grey-suited bureaucrats'

Mr Abe is the son of a former foreign minister and grandson of a former prime minister. At 51, he is considered young to be a Japanese cabinet minister.

LEADERSHIP TIMELINE 20 Sept: LDP lawmakers and over one million LDP members elect party president26 Sept: Party president almost certain to be elected PM by LDP-dominated parliament30 Sept: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi steps down

However, the BBC's Chris Hogg in Tokyo says he is popular and, more importantly perhaps in Japan these days, presentable.

The master of the sound-bite is more likely to get elected than the kind of consensus-seeking, grey-suited bureaucrats who used to run Japan, our correspondent says.

Mr Abe has the backing of the current prime minister, Mr Koizumi. But questions remain about which way he might take the country.

According to our correspondent, some say he is a right winger, a hawk; others contend that he is a pragmatist, a realist, keen for Japan to be more assertive abroad but aware of the need to improve the country's poor relations with its neighbours.