FUKUOKA (Kyodo) Gotaro Yoshimura, an Upper House member from the Liberal Democratic Party, said he submitted his notification Wednesday that he will leave the party before his term expires this summer and seek re-election as an independent.
Yoshimura, 70, represents Fukuoka Prefecture, which will have two seats up for grabs in the July election. The LDP has already decided to endorse 42-year-old prefectural assembly member Satoshi Oie for one of the seats.
Yoshimura is in his third term since entering the Upper House in 1992.
The ruling Democratic Party of Japan has decided to field incumbent Tsutomu Okubo, 48, in Fukuoka, while the Japanese Communist Party will run Kiyoshi Shinoda, 61.
