Former House of Representatives member Muneo Suzuki said Saturday he intends to run in the next Lower House election under a new party he plans to form.
Suzuki, 56, is currently on trial for bribery and other charges and has pleaded not guilty. He told his supporters he plans to set up the party before the next Lower House election, which must be held by fall 2007.
Speaking at a gathering of his supporters in Obihiro, Hokkaido, Suzuki said his party would field candidates both in Hokkaido districts and the proportional representation section of the Hokkaido bloc, but he has not decided in which he will run.
Suzuki lost in a bid for a seat in the House of Councilors election in July when he ran in the Hokkaido district as an independent, garnering 485,382 votes.