The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan is preparing for a special election in October to replace outgoing Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, who announced his resignation after less than a year in office on Sunday.

Among the top contenders to replace him are Ishibia’s stalwart ally, farm minister Koizumi Shinjiro, and one of his toughest critics, former economic minister Takaichi Sanae.

LDP leaders have yet to decide how the election will be managed. If they choose the “full-scale” approach, in which all party members get a vote, the process would begin in late September and conclude in early October. The Japan Times reported on Monday that September 22 and October 4 are under consideration as starting and ending dates.

The party could have pushed for an emergency e

See Full Page