New Delhi, Oct. 4 -- Japan's long-governing party will choose a new leader to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in a key party vote on Saturday, as it hopes to regain public support and stay in power after major election losses.

The Liberal Democratic Party, whose consecutive losses in parliamentary elections in the past year have left it in the minority in both houses, wants to select a leader who can quickly address challenges in and outside Japan, while seeking cooperation from key opposition groups to implement its policies.

Five candidates - two currently serving and three former ministers - are vying for the LDP presidency. The winner is likely to be Japan's next prime minister because the party remains by far the largest in t...