By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s long-governing Liberal Democratic Party will choose a new leader on Saturday to replace Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba , but the winner must quickly restore political stability and regain public support for the struggling party to stay in power.

Three of the five candidates in Saturday’s intraparty vote are seen as the favorites. They include a woman who could become Japan’s first female prime minister, the son of a former prime minister and a veteran moderate.

The winner must act quickly to address rising prices if the party is to have any chance of winning back support after election losses to the LDP and its junior partner Komeito in the past year cost their coalition a majority in both houses of parliament.

The new part

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