FOCUS: Koizumi may gain ground in LDP leadership race with wider lawmaker support

Amid expectations that the 44-year-old lawmaker could negotiate more smoothly with opposition forces over cooperation, farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi may gain the upper hand in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election.The race comes as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, head of the LDP, announced his resignation earlier this month to take responsibility for the ruling bloc's loss of a majority in both chambers of parliament in recent national elections.Political experts say former internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi, 64, seen as one of the two frontrunners in the leaders…READ FULL ARTICLE