TOKYO, JAPAN: Japan's Liberal Democratic Party presidential election campaign officially kicked off Wednesday (10 Sept), with LDP secretary general Taro Aso and four other party members filing their candidacies.

The successor to outgoing Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is expected to lead the LDP in the run-up to the next House of Representatives election.

Aso, 67, who is seen as the most promising candidate with solid support from LDP lawmakers, and the four other candidates will campaign around the country through to the 22 Sept election date.

The other candidates are former defense minister Yuriko Koike, 56; Kaoru Yosano, 70, state minister in charge of economic and fiscal policy; former party policy research council chairman Nobuteru Ishihara, 51; and former defense minister Shigeru Ishiba, 51.

"The politics in this country stand on the verge of an unprecedented crisis," Aso said at a joint press conference with the other candidates on Wednesday afternoon. "I have the experience and have achieved results [in a variety of political fields]...I'm fully determined to tackle the problems that are burdening Japan today."

Koike, the only woman in the race, said her candidacy symbolised changes in the LDP. She also emphasised the importance of continuing with structural reform efforts.

As for the contentious issues expected to be taken up in the election campaign, Yosano touched on social security issues, such as pension and medical services. He also called for passing the supplementary budget bill at an early date in an effort to buoy the economy.

For his part, Ishihara said it was necessary for the party to pursue responsible policies as a ruling party, rather than simply aiming to win public favor.

Ishiba also said politicians sometimes need to ask the public to bear certain burdens.

Discussions in the LDP leadership race are expected to center on the government's economic and security policies, among other issues.

The new party president will be elected at a general meeting of LDP legislators, where party members from both houses of the Diet as well as local chapter representatives will cast ballots.

This is the first time that as many as five candidates are competing in the party presidential election since the current system was introduced in 1972. It also is the first time a woman has sought the presidency.

Yasufumi Tanahashi, a former state minister in charge of science and technology policy who had expressed his intention to run in the race, failed to secure the required 20 written endorsements from party legislators.

Applications for candidacy were accepted from 11am to 11.30am Wednesday at the party headquarters in Nagatacho, Tokyo.

The five candidates submitted a list of 20 written endorsements and other documents to the election administration committee.

A total of 125 LDP Diet legislators and 46 of their proxies, or about 44% of the 386 LDP legislators in the Diet with the right to vote in the election, took part in a ceremony that marked the start of Aso's election campaign.

"How should we address the disparity between rural areas [and big cities]? I'd like to closely listen to every single voice of the public and appeal to this country's potential power. Who will contend with the DPJ--that must take precedence," Aso said.

The major focus of attention in the LDP presidential race will be economic pump-priming measures that will be considered by the Diet, and fiscal discipline.

Placing top priority on economic recovery, Aso has spoken in favor of postponing the government's goal of restoring the budget's primary balance to the black in fiscal 2011.

In contrast, the four other candidates maintain the need to firmly stick to the government's fiscal reconstruction goals.

The LDP presidential election will consist of 527 votes, to be cast by 386 party legislators in the Diet and 141 prefectural chapter representatives.

Each representative from 47 party local branches will have three ballots to cast in endorsing his or her chapter's chosen candidate.

Though the party has 387 Diet members, only 386 legislators are expected to cast votes in the 22 Sept poll, as lower house member Takeshi Hosaka plans to run in the mayoral election in Kai, Yamanashi Prefecture, which is to be officially announced on 21 Sept. (The Yomiuri Shimbun/ ANN)