Almost 70 percent of the lawmakers belonging to Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will vote for Yasuo Fukuda as the party's leader, who will also be the nation's new prime minister, local media survey said on Wednesday.

 

According to the survey conducted by Kyodo News, Fukuda is likely to win a majority of the 528 ballots to be cast on Sunday -- 387 by the LDP lawmakers and 141 from local chapters. His competitor Taro Aso, meanwhile secured around 20 percent of the votes.

 

The 71-year-old Fukuda will be backed by the LDP's largest faction led by Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, as well as a number of other factions in the hastily-arranged voting, after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's sudden resignation on September 12, the survey said.

 

Aso has the support of his own 16-member faction, and a number of other LDP lawmakers, the survey said, adding that some 60 lawmakers have not determined whom to vote.

 

The winner of the LDP presidency practically also captures the premiership since the LDP controls the House of the Representatives, which has final say in choosing the prime minister. The Japanese parliament is scheduled to vote for a new prime minister on Tuesday after the current Cabinet resigns en masse.

 

(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2007)