MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fujimori throws his hat into the Peruvian election ring

Former Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori, currently exiled in Tokyo since 2000, collected Wednesday morning his new passport from the Peruvian consulate in the Japanese capital reported the Japanese news agency Kyodo.

"The operation is apparently part of the preparations for his participation in Peru's presidential election next year", added Kyodo.

Last May Mr. Fujimori visited the same consulate with the purpose of renovating his passport, an event which caused a political tremor in Peru.

The former president who also holds a Japanese passport took refuge in Japan in November 2000 when his government collapsed following the surfing of corruption ring headed by his main advisor Vladimiro Montesinos, and of which Mr. Fujimori allegedly was not aware.

Peruvian courts have presented Japan with two extradition requests, one for Mr. Fujimori master minding the killings in cold blood in two separate incidents of 25 people, mostly university students.

The second for allegedly authorizing the payment of 15 million US dollars compensation to his former aide Montesinos currently jailed in Lima on several counts of corruption.

Presidential elections are scheduled for April 2006 in Peru and Mr. Fujimori's name figures among the leading pack of hopefuls according to public opinion polls in the last twelve months.

Mr. Fujimori's ten years in office plagued with human rights abuses and corruption claims, was successful in defeating one of South America's most destructive and cruel guerrilla movements, Shinning Path, and turning around the country's economy.

In spite of having been stripped of his rights to run for office by Congress, Mr. Fujimori has always promised his followers he would return and again become president.

"Having delivered a passport to Mr. Fujimori proves he is effectively a Peruvian citizen and takes advantage, alternatively, of his Japanese papers to hide and run from Peruvian Justice", remarked in Lima prosecutor Antonio Maldonado.