Record field, tight race expected in Japan governing party contest

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party may see a close race for its new leader, with a likely record number of candidates and the waning influence of factions making rank-and-file votes significant in effectively choosing the next prime minister.Around 10 lawmakers or more could run in the Sept. 27 LDP presidential election, the most under the party's current selection system introduced in 1971. The five-contender 2008 and 2012 races were the biggest under present rules.The wider field comes after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's announcement in August that he will not seek reelection as hea…READ FULL ARTICLE