'Rebel' and 'assassin' kiss and make up

Seiko Noda, 47, left, and Yukari Sato, 46, were all smiles Friday in an apparent reconciliation at a news conference in Tokyo to announce Noda as the Liberal Democratic Party's candidate for the Gifu No. 1 single-seat constituency in the next Lower House election.

'Rebel' and 'assassin' kiss and make up (HIROYUKI KOBAYASHI/ THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)

Sato, meanwhile, will be running from Tokyo's No. 5 constituency. Noda is a former postal privatization "rebel" who was expelled from the LDP and forced to run as an independent in 2005, but still won the Lower House seat.

Sato is the "assassin" sent to Noda's constituency in the same election. Sato ran on the LDP ticket as a pro-postal privatization candidate, and gained her seat under the proportional representation system. Although Sato said she accepts the party's decision to transfer her to a new constituency, Noda, who has since been reinstated in the party, said she wanted to become friends with Sato.(IHT/Asahi: February 9,2008)