Obuchi confident of succeeding Hashimoto

TOKYO, July 15: Japanese Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi today said he was confident of becoming the next Prime Minister succeeding his "faction-mate" Ryutaro Hashimoto who resigned on Monday.Obuchi today said he would officially announce his candidacy tomorrow ahead of anyone else.

Obuchi, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party’s largest faction to which Hashimoto also belongs, was chosen by his more than hundred member group within the party as its candidate for LDP presidency and premiership.

Seiroku Kajiyama, a former chief cabinet secretary and also a member of Obuchi faction, today said he was not going to challenge his leader’s bid for party presidency and premiership.