tokyo - Former Foreign Minister Taro Aso was set to succeed outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda Monday as he was expected to win Japan's governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) presidential election.

Aso, 68, was determined to prevail against four other candidates in his fourth bid in the LDP presidential election, while hoping to lead the ruling party to victory in the House of Representatives election soon to be held.

Often referred to as a political hawk, Aso had support from more than 60 per cent of the party members and remains most likely to succeed Fukuda, who announced his resignation on September 1 after less than a year in office.

The winner of the election would be assured to become a prime minister because LDP holds a comfortable majority in the lower house. The parliament is expected to choose the nation's leader on Wednesday.

An avid fan of manga comics, Aso intends to stimulate the world's second largest economy by increasing government spending and tax cuts.

On foreign diplomacy, Aso has toned down his hawkish image and tried to evade criticism over his political gaffes as he expressed his willingness to maintain friendly relations with Asian neighbours. (dpa)