Japan's ruling party opens leadership race to choose Ishiba's successor

Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's ruling party opened official campaigning Monday to find his replacement who can restore political stability and voter support for the beleaguered Liberal Democrats.

- 

Five candidates are vying for the Liberal Democratic Party's top job ahead of a highly unpredictable vote in early October. The race has a slogan: "Change, LDP."

The winner must act quickly to address rising prices if the party is to have any chance of winning back support following devastating losses to both the LDP and its junior partner Komeito in the past year that deprived their coalition of a majority in either house of parliament.

Its new leader is still likely to be prime minister because the LDP remains the No. 1 party, while opposition groups are too splintered to form a coalition.

Whoever becomes the LDP leader must also gain cooperation from main opposition parties or risk facing constant no-confidence motions and a cycle of short-lived leadership.

Vote for LDP parliamentarians and members

The Oct. 4 vote is not open to the general public. It is limited to 295 LDP parliamentarians and 1 million dues-paying grassroots party members. That's less than 1% of Japan's eligible voters.

A candidate who secures a majority becomes a party leader. If nobody wins a majority, there will be a runoff between the top two candidates in the first round.

To be elected as prime minister, the new party leader will need votes from some opposition lawmakers in a parliamentary leadership vote, to be held within days.