Former Social Democratic Party lawmaker Kiyomi Tsujimoto announced Tuesday she will run in the Sept. 11 House of Representatives election on the SDP ticket in both the Osaka No. 10 district and in the Kinki proportional-representation block.
"I have decided to run in the election in order to make the SDP a party that can accept people's voices," Tsujimoto said at a news conference in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture.
Tsujimoto, 45, is on top of the list for the proportional-representation block along with three other candidates.
She was twice elected in the Osaka No. 10 district in the past but gave up her seat in 2002 after allegations surfaced she misused government-paid salaries for her secretaries.
She received a suspended prison term in February 2004.
Tsujimoto ran for the House of Councilors as an independent in July 2004, receiving 718,000 votes but falling short of winning a seat.
