Japan faces more confusion amid leadership vote

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, second from left, speaks during a joint press conference with four other candidates for leader of Japan's ruling Democratic Party in Tokyo Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. The five men declared their candidacy to compete in a race to select a new leader to replace Prime Minister Naoto Kan. They are, from left, former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, former Transport Minister Sumio Mabuchi, Trade and Economy Minister Banri Kaieda, Noda and Farm Minister Michihiko Kano. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, second from left, speaks during a joint press conference with four other candidates for leader of Japan's ruling Democratic Party in Tokyo Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. The five men declared their candidacy to compete in a race to select a new leader to replace Prime Minister Naoto Kan. They are, from left, former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, former Transport Minister Sumio Mabuchi, Trade and Economy Minister Banri Kaieda, Noda and Farm Minister Michihiko Kano. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Trade and Economy Minister Banri Kaieda speaks during a joint press conference with four other candidates for leader of Japan's ruling Democratic Party in Tokyo Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. The five men declared their candidacy to compete in a race to select a new leader to replace Prime Minister Naoto Kan. The favorite in public opinion polls is former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, but Kaieda emerged as a strong contender after Japanese media reports said he gained the support of veteran party powerbroker Ichiro Ozawa. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Former Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara speaks during a joint press conference with four other candidates for leader of Japan's ruling Democratic Party in Tokyo Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011. The five men declared their candidacy to compete in a race to select a new leader to replace Prime Minister Naoto Kan. Maehara is the favorite in public opinion polls. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

(AP) ? The five candidates vying to be Japan's next prime minister are promising to resolve the country's nuclear crisis and revive its battered economy.

But there is widespread public cynicism about the country's revolving door of leaders. The next prime minister will be Japan's sixth in five years.

No one is expected to win the needed majority 200 votes from legislators in the ruling Democratic Party in the first round of voting, set for Monday. If no one gets a majority, a run-off would follow.

At a debate Sunday at a Tokyo hotel, the candidates appeared mostly in agreement on the main issues, all promising to revive Japan's economy and bring the crisis at the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant under control.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-08-28-AS-Japan-Politics/id-35907fea98fc41d68980d109c10b6fd4

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