Japanese foreign minister is sure of victory

Japanese foreign minister is sure of victory

Koizumi has long insisted that he will step down when his term as head of the ruling party expires in September, and the conservative Aso had been expected to announce a bid, the AP reports.

Aso aide Takashi Sasaki said a formal announcement of Aso's candidacy would be made at a yet-to-be-decided date, after getting formal backing from the 20 lawmakers needed to put his name on the ballot.