Shinzo Abe wins Party Presidential Election

September 20, 2006

With the end of President Junichiro Koizumi's term, the LDP's presidential election was held September 20th to choose the 21st President when Diet members cast their votes at Party Headquarters. A total of 403 Diet members voted at headquarters while Party members from across the country, who were allocated 300 votes, voted at Party prefectural branches up until September 19th. Candidate Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary, secured a clear majority of 464 votes and was thereby elected the new Party President.
　　　A Joint Plenary Meeting of Party Members of both houses of the Diet later approved Mr. Abe's election as new Party President.

The number of votes of each candidate obtained is as follows.

	Diet members votes	Party members votes	Total
Abe, Shinzo	267	197	464
Tanigaki, Sadakazu	66	36	102
Aso, Taro	69	67	136

Profile of Shinzo Abe

Born September 21, 1954, in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Graduated from Seikei University majoring in Law.
Entered Kobe Steel, Ltd.
First elected to the House of Representatives from Yamaguchi 4th district in 1993. Since then reelected four times.
Previously served as Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, Party Secretary-General, and Party Acting Secretary-General.
Currently serving as Chief Cabinet Secretary.
Grandfather is former Prime Minister Shinsuke Kishi, and his father is former Foreign Minister Shintaro Abe.

http://www.abe2006.jp/