Popular Japanese politician Junichiro Koizumi rode a groundswell of rank-and-file support to a landslide victory today in the race to lead his conservative ruling party, and thus become prime minister.
"It is my responsibility to build the party so that we can say with confidence that it is the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that will change Japan and move ahead with major reforms," a jubilant Mr Koizumi said after his stunning win in the election for party president.
Hopes that his upset triumph would give him a mandate to keep his fiery promises of reform were tempered by fears he might soften his stance to preserve party unity and the three-way ruling coalition.
Mr Koizumi's "Change the LDP, Change Japan" platform won resounding support from local party members deeply afraid of losing an election for parliament's Upper House in July, but left many analysts unsure how it would play out in concrete policies.
"It is unbelievable that I received overwhelming votes of support," Mr Koizumi told a group of supporters earlier in the day.
"It is the individual citizens who moved politics."
Mr Koizumi won 298 of a total of 484 valid votes against 155 for his closest rival, former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, and a mere 31 for dark horse candidate Economics Minister Taro Aso.
Mr Koizumi had already swept 123 out of 141 prefectural chapter votes decided in primaries that ended yesterday.
A fourth contender, LDP policy chief Shizuka Kamei, pulled out of the race just hours before the vote.
The LDP poll was called after the ruling bloc decided to ditch the hugely unpopular Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to boost its chances in the July election for seats in the Upper House.
The winner of the LDP party race is certain to replace Mr Mori as Japan's 11th prime minister in 13 years - as long as he keeps the backing of the three-way ruling coalition, which has a majority in the Lower House. Parliament will vote on April 26.