Fujimori mulls Japan party offer

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Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori is considering an offer from a Japanese opposition party to run in July's senate election, his aides say.

Mr Fujimori's spokesman said he would give his answer soon. The former leader is a national of both Peru and Japan.

He is currently under house arrest in Chile facing extradition to Peru on human rights and corruption charges.

Mr Fujimori, who was president from 1990 to 2000, was detained in Chile in 2005 when returning to Peru from Japan.

Carlos Raffo, a spokesman from Mr Fujimori's Peruvian party, said members of the People's New Party, a small Japanese conservative grouping, had arrived at Mr Fujimori's residence in Santiago, Chile, with their offer.

Peru's Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde dismissed the proposal as "a manoeuvre by that party and by ex-President Fujimori to try to avoid extradition".

However Chilean legal experts say the offer of candidacy will not affect the final deportation ruling.

The charges against Mr Fujimori include the death squad killings of 25 people.

They also cover alleged illegal phone tapping, the siphoning of state funds to the intelligence service, and bribery of politicians.

Mr Fujimori has denied any wrongdoing.