TOKYO - Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) decided Tuesday to hold its presidential election on Sept 27 to select a successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, local media reported.

The upcoming election, the first since 2021 when Kishida was elected party's leader, is expected to see about a dozen lawmakers vie for the post to succeed Kishida, with the winner to be anointed prime minister given the ruling coalition controls both houses of parliament, Kyodo News reported.

Kishida, whose three-year term as LDP president expires at the end of September, made a surprise announcement last week that he will step down without seeking re-election, leading a wide field of LDP figures to consider running, the report said.

Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi, 49, on Monday became the first to throw his hat into the ring for the LDP presidency.

The LDP decided to start on Sept 12 a 15-day campaigning period for the race, a few days longer than the more common 12 days, in an apparent bid to improve transparency in hopes of restoring public trust in the party following a slush funds scandal, Kyodo News said.