Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party was on Wednesday night scrambling to keep its grip on power, saying it would hold elections next week to find a replacement leader for Shinzo Abe who stunned his party by resigning.
Taro Aso – LDP secretary-general and, like Mr Abe, a social conservative and nationalist – is favourite to take over, but his selection by a deeply divided party is far from certain. Other challengers are likely to emerge, though on Wednesday night Junichiro Koizumi, former prime minister, was reported to have turned down a request to run again.
