Japan's Toshimitsu Motegi to decide whether to run in party leadership race for Abe's successor

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. Credit: Reuters Photo

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Tuesday he planned to decide "in 24 hours" whether to run in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) leadership election to select Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's successor.

Abe announced on Friday he was resigning because of poor health, his long-running battle with ulcerative colitis ending his tenure as Japan's longest-serving prime minister.

The president of the LDP is virtually assured of being prime minister because of the party's majority in parliament's lower house.