Fukuda ahead in Japan PM race

Fukuda has support of eight out of nine LDP factions. Fukuda ahead in Japan PM race.

Japan's former foreign minister acknowledged Sunday he faced probable defeat in the race of next Prime Minister of Japan to replace ailing PM Shinzo Abe.

Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda the front runner to succeed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said on Saturday that he would stay away from Yasukuni Shrine.

LDP Secretary General Aso also filed his candidacy on Saturday evening as per reports of Japan media.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has announced that
veteran politician Yasuo Fukuda will face former foreign minister Taro Aso.

LDP will pick Mr Abe's successor on 23 September the party dismissed opposition calls for a snap election.The party has majority in Lower house, the House of Representatives, hence new leaders is sure to become the next prime Minister of Japan.

General estimate of the Japanese media that Fukuda is all set to succeed in the contest of race to be next Prime Minister to succeed Abe,as eight out of all nine LDP factions have extended support for Fukuda and is set to win in the duel.

Two candidates agreed the need to extend the Maritime Self-Defense Force's refueling mission in the Indian Ocean and vowed to continue the course of structural reforms, the Kyodo News.
Mr Fukuda has stressed the importance of good relations with the country's neighbors specially Asian his closeness with China is open secret.
Taro Aso, is more outspoken in support of traditional values and is more likely to focus on Japan's relations with the United States.

Fukuda is known from his chief Cabinet secretary days as being a combative, short-tempered politician who often argued with reporters by using high-handed rhetoric.

Still unclear as what kind of policy stance Fukuda will take if hegets to coveted post prime minister. His contest was so sudden that he admitted Friday in an interview with NHK that he was unprepared to present his basic economic or diplomatic policies to the country.

"I haven't been able to discuss policies (with the supporting factions) very much," Fukuda said.

Voting format in has addition to 387 LDP members of the Diet, Japan's parliament - 304 from the House of Representatives and 83 from the House of Councilors - the party's 47 prefectural chapters will vote, with three votes allotted to each. This implies a total of 528 votes will be cast.

The LDP-led coalition lost control of the House of Councilors in the late-July election to the opposition led by the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). But the LDP president will be assured of election as prime minister in the Diet, as the party controls the more powerful Lower House, whose decisions take precedence over those of the Upper House regarding the election of a prime minister.