Tokyo, Oct 12: Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
got a scare today, ahead of Japan's November 09 general
election, when a reportedly agitated man dashed to his car in
the suburbs of Tokyo, a press report said.
"Show me the Prime Minister," the man was quoted as
shouting before he was overpowered by policemen in front of a
train station in Kawagoe, a satellite city north of Tokyo,
the Jiji press news agency said.
Koizumi, who was in the car, was unhurt in the
incident, which took place at around 2:00 pm (1030 IST), the
report said. No other details were immediately available.
The Prime Minister was touring through the suburban
prefecture of Saitama to support a candidate of his Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) for an upper house by-election on
October 26.
The poll is seen as a litmus test for the general
election in which the long-ruling conservative LDP hopes to
increase its majority strength in the house of
representatives, the lower chamber of the Parliament.
On Tuesday, he is scheduled to hold a street speech
in downtown Tokyo after announcing the party's election
pledges at the LDP headquarters.
The premier is also due to make campaign speeches
afterwards toward the national election.
Bureau Report
