Fujimori to run for Japan Parliament

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has decided to run in the election for Japan’s upper house of parliament in July, despite...

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has decided to run in the election for Japan’s upper house of parliament in July, despite being under house arrest in Chile, Japan’s NTV network has reported.

“I have accepted the request by the People’s New Party to be a proportional representation candidate,” Fujimori, who also holds Japanese citizenship, was quoted as saying in an interview with NTV. “I want to make use of my 10-year experience as president to work for Japan and the world,” NTV quoted him as saying on its website.

Japan’s Kyodo News agency had a similar report, saying Fujimori was “likely” to run in the election.

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Fujimori (68), is under house arrest in Chile. Peru wants to try him on charges including bribery, misuse of government funds and sanctioning death squad killings during his decade-long rule, which ended in 2000. Fujimori spent five years in exile in Japan after fleeing Peru as his government collapsed under a corruption scandal.

Japan’s government determined in 2000 that the ousted leader holds Japanese citizenship, after Tokyo confirmed Fujimori’s birth was registered with a Japanese consulate in Peru and that he had never renounced his Japanese citizenship.

Despite the allegations, he is well received among the Japanese for his handling of a 1996 hostage crisis in Peru, when he ordered a daring raid that freed 24 Japanese captives from guerrillas who had taken over the Japanese ambassador’s residence.

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