Staff members of Japan's main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) prepare to count the votes from the party presidential election, at the party headquarters in Tokyo Sept 26, 2012. Japan's main opposition party picks its new leader and possibly the next prime minister on Wednesday.[Photo/Agencies]

TOKYO - Japan's former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emerged as the top two candidates to contest in the upcoming run-off for the presidency of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Wednesday.

Ishiba secured the strongest support among rank-and-file party members with 165 out of 300 votes, much higher than Abe's 87 votes, while Abe obtained greater backing from LDP lawmakers with 54 out of 198 votes compared to Ishiba's 34 votes, leading to a run-off between the two in which only LDP legislators are eligible to cast their ballots.