Junichiro Koizumi told his supporters on Saturday he will not run in the next parliamentary elections, which could come as early as November. -- PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
TOKYO - FORMER Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi says he will retire from politics.
Mr Koizumi, 66, told his supporters on Saturday he will not run in the next parliamentary elections, which could come as early as November.
Mr Koizumi held Japan's top office from 2001 to 2006, becoming one of the country's longest-serving prime ministers.
The flamboyant leader, known for his long silver hair, was credited with re-engineering the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's staid image into one of a dynamic party of reform. -- AP
