Hiroshige Seko, a disgraced politician, has announced his intention to run in the upcoming Lower House election in Japan. Seko, who was forced to leave the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in April over unreported political funds, will face Nobuyasu Nikai, the son of a retiring LDP veteran, in the Wakayama No. 2 district.
Seko, a former deputy chief Cabinet secretary and minister of economy, trade and industry, emphasized his political experience during a news conference on October 5th. He acknowledged violating the rules and causing distrust in politics, but stated that he had given his side of the story to the Upper House Deliberative Council on Political Ethics and that prosecutors had decided not to indict him.
Seko's decision to run in the election has been met with opposition from the LDP's Wakayama prefectural chapter, which stated that he had committed a grave breach of party rules and that it would be tantamount to disregarding the party rules if he were allowed to return.
Fumiro Kusumoto, a former prefectural assembly member of the Japanese Communist Party, and Nana Honma, a former official of the ministry of internal affairs and communications, have also announced their candidacies in the Wakayama No. 2 district.