TOKYO - Taro Aso, a hawkish ruling party executive and former Olympic sharpshooter, is once again the frontrunner to be Japan's next prime minister, after the abrupt resignation of Yasuo Fukuda.

If the comic-book fan succeeds this time, analysts say Aso would likely prioritise stimulating the struggling Japanese economy ahead of cutting down the government's huge debt, perhaps abandoning a goal of a balanced budget within the next few years.

After losing out on the leadership to Fukuda last year, Aso surprised many by taking the No. 2 position in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a reshuffle by his rival last month.

The appointment was interpreted as setting up the abrasive, yet popular, 67-year-old to take over in case Fukuda, struggling with low ratings and a divided parliament, lost his job.

In a comment seen by Japanese media as showing his willingness to run, Aso told reporters he was a suitable candidate.

"I think (Fukuda) felt he had work that was left undone, and he said he wanted it to be carried out," said the veteran lawmaker, a former foreign minister and currently LDP secretary-general.

"As someone who discussed these issues with him, including the economic package, I think I have the credentials to take that on," Aso said, referring to plans announced by Fukuda last week for temporary tax cuts and around $16.5 billion in new spending this year to help ease the pain from high oil and food prices.

MANGA MAN

Aso makes much of his fondness for the manga comics widely read by younger people and his dapper suits and boisterous charm are unusual among Japan's grey political elite.

Mobile phone users can download his picture or ringtones featuring Aso laughing or exhorting them to stop reading comics and check their text messages.

Grandson of one former prime minister and married to the daughter of another, he represented Japan at the 1976 Montreal Olympics in skeet shooting, a sport where athletes fire a shotgun at fast-moving targets.

He laid out his political views in a best-selling book, "Tremendous Japan", in which he promoted the potential of Japan and pushed for an arc of freedom and prosperity in Asia.

As prime minister, Aso might play down efforts to rein in Japan's huge public debt of around 1-½   times GDP, the highest among major industrialised nations, at least in the short term as the world's No.2 economy skirts with recession.

"Aso has been advocating larger fiscal spending lately, so fiscal discipline may suffer a set-back after Fukuda's resignation," said Takahide Kiuchi, chief economist at Nomura Securities.

Aso was a contender in the race with Fukuda last year but his party went for the softer option, rather than a politician whose outspokenness has sometimes led to problems.

KOREAN UPSET

Aso triggered a furore in the two Koreas in 2003 when he made remarks seen as praising Japan's 1919-1945 colonisation of the peninsula. He is back in the leadership frame as ties with South Korea are again in a sensitive phase as a long-running territorial dispute over a few rocky islets has flared up.

In contrast, Japan's long rocky relations with China have improved in the past two years with Fukuda putting a priority on good relations with Japan's huge, fast-growing neighbour.

Aso is likely to be tougher on China, but would probably steer away from acts such as visiting Tokyo's Yasakuni War Shrine, which would directly offend Beijing.

Aso also has a record of offending those closer to home, including once by making a joke about Alzheimer's disease, a sensitive topic in rapidly ageing Japan.

His wealthy background could lead to an accusation, often thrown at Japan's hereditary politicians, that he is out of touch with voters struggling with rising prices and a flagging economy.

For now, though, Aso tops the list of politicians voters would like to see become prime minister after two short-lived leaders both seen as weak.

A poll over the weekend by Nikkei business daily had Aso as most popular choice for prime minister, at 26 percent support -- three times the level of second-placed opposition leader Ichiro Ozawa at 8 percent, with Fukuda trailing at 5 percent.

He has served previously as minister for economic planning and for posts and telecommunications.