Nine ruling party candidates vie to replace Japan’s outgoing Prime Minister Kishida

Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan finds out its next leader on Friday when the ruling party of outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida picks his replacement in a key vote that could affect the country’s political stability in coming months. Friday’s vote involves only lawmakers and grassroots members of the Liberal Democratic Party, but the winner is certain to be elected prime minister on Oct. 1 because the LDP’s ruling coalition dominates Japan’s parliament. A record nine candidates are running, though only three of them are considered likely to win. No candidate is likely to win a majority in the first round, so the winner is likely to be decided in a runoff, immediately after the first round on Friday afternoon.