He lost the party election to Abe on 26 September 2012.

In 2004 he won the internal party election and was chosen as the party's presidential candidate.

In June 2009, he run again in the internal party election looking to be presidential candidate.

There would be little point in holding internal party elections otherwise.

Currently around 150 members regularly take part in party elections and polls.

The process was done through the 2006 party elections.

He won it in a close party election.

The next party election are three years from now.

Much depends, they said, on how the Japanese economy and banks perform in the weeks before the party elections.

The party elections "are better than the previous system," he added.