Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will elect its new president following the resignation by the party’s leader and longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The ruling party’s top pick will then be confirmed as Prime Minister by a special session of the country’s parliament, the National Diet, on Wednesday.

Abe’s loyal supporter and chief cabinet secretary, Yoshihide, is widely seen as the frontrunner. The list of election hopefuls also includes former Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.