Overview

• Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba remains in office until parliament selects his successor in an extraordinary session planned for Oct. 14 or later.
• The LDP presidential election is scheduled for Saturday, and the party’s new leader is expected to be confirmed as prime minister.
• Shinjiro Koizumi and Sanae Takaichi lead the race, with Yoshimasa Hayashi positioned as a prominent alternative alongside trailing contenders.
• The LDP–Komeito coalition no longer holds majorities in either chamber, yet the CDP, JIP and DPP have stalled on a joint candidate, reducing prospects for an opposition takeover.
• Koizumi’s campaign faces allegations of orchestrated online praise that prompted an ally’s resignation and followed death threats and a bomb scare, while the race has been marked by controversy over gaffes.