Ex-PM Koizumi Declines to Run for Upper House from Opposition Side

August 7, 2018

Fukuoka- Former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has declined a request to run in next year's House of Councillors election as a unified candidate of the opposition camp, a former ruling party lawmaker said Monday.

The request from Ichiro Ozawa, head of the opposition Liberal Party followed Koizumi's recent call for cooperation among opposition parties. Koizumi is now critical of the administration of incumbent Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, especially over its nuclear power policy.

The developments were revealed by Taku Yamasaki, former vice president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, during a speech in the southwestern city of Fukuoka.

According to Yamasaki, Ozawa tried to persuade Koizumi by saying that there would be no promising opposition-unified candidate unless he stands. Ozawa also claimed that the former prime minister could garner more than three million votes.

During telephone talks with Yamasaki on Sunday, Koizumi was quoted as saying that he would not accept the request from Ozawa because he is now as old as 76.

During the talks, Yamasaki referred to the recent political comeback of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, 93. But Koizumi said, "I won't be moved by such a talk," according to Yamasaki. Jiji Press