Yoshiro Mori Elected New LDP President

Japan's New PM

Yoshiro Mori, secretary general of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), was elected new president of the party Wednesday to succeed ailing Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

Mori, a close ally of Obuchi, was elected at a joint plenary meeting attended by LDP members of both houses of the Diet (parliament).

Mori, 62, leader of a major LDP faction, is expected to be picked as Japan's 55th prime minister in the Diet later in the day as he has already secured support of all LDP factions as well as LDP's two coalition partners, the New Komeito party and the newly launched Conservative Party.

Obuchi was hospitalized early Sunday after suffering a stroke, He was later moved to the intensive care unit of a Tokyo hospital and was put on a respirator.