LIMA, Feb. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The Peruvian government said Thursday that it would express "surprise and concern" over support by Japanese political leader Shizuka Kamei for former President Alberto Fujimori's aspirations to regain the Peruvian presidency.

¡¡¡¡Foreign Minister Manuel Rodriguez declared that the Peruvian government would present a formal complaint against recent statements by Kamei, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

    Kamei, also a former minister, expressed his support for "a possible candidacy of the deposed leader Fujimori to the presidency of Peru." He was speaking at an unofficial political gathering this week, Rodriguez said.

    The Japanese press quoted Kamei as saying: "Let's gather the strength of Japanese citizens so that Fujimori can once again be president (of Peru)."

    Rodriguez said: "A person with the political experience of the ex-Japanese minister...cannot make the statements calling for public office for someone like Fujimori, a fugitive from justice who is disqualified to hold office."

    Using his double Peruvian-Japanese nationality, Fujimori fled to Japan in November 2000 and managed to avoid legal actions against him, including extradition. He is disqualified from occupying a public position until 2011.

    He was forced to step down two months after the release of a video showing his adviser and former chief of the National Intelligence Service, Vladimiro Montesinos, giving money to an opposition legislator to increase the relative "Fujimorist" majority in the parliament.

    Peru, which has charged Fujimori with dereliction of duty, embezzlement, murder, illegal arms purchases and human rights violations, is seeking his extradition from Japan.

    However, Japan has refused to extradite the former president, saying Japan's law prohibits its citizens from being tried in another country. Enditem