Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held its 21st presidential election on Wednesday afternoon at its headquarters in Tokyo to select a successor to the incumbent party chief and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

403 LDP lawmakers, each of whom has one ballot, began voting from 2 p.m. local time. Another 300 votes, which were shared by the party's 1.06 million rank-and-file members and have been posted to the election committee from the party's 47 prefectural chapters, will be counted into the final results.

The headquarters planned to announce a winner shortly later.

Among the three candidates, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe is almost certain to win at least 352 votes or simple majority of ballots and beat Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki and Foreign Minister Taro Aso.

Recent polls showed that Abe enjoyed a comfortable lead among the three candidates. He not only has secured support of over 70 percent of fellow LDP lawmakers who will vote in the election, but also have the advantage in 36 local LDP organizations.

"If I can get as much support as possible, I will be able to form a strong Cabinet," Abe was quoted by Kyodo as telling reporters in front of his home on Wednesday morning.

Winner of the race will get a three-year term as LDP president and naturally succeed Koizumi as Japan's next prime minister because the ruling bloc, made up of the LDP and its coalition partner New Komeito party, holds a majority in the lower house, which controls the final say in selecting the premier.

The LDP and opposition parties have agreed to appointed the winner as Koizumi's successor in an extra Diet session on Sept. 26.

(Xinhua News Agency September 20, 2006)