Taku Yamasaki, a former Liberal Democratic Party vice president who lost his Diet seat in the Nov. 9 general election, might run in next summer's House of Councilors race. Sources said Thursday that Yamasaki is considering running on the proportional representation part of the Upper House race.

But some within his LDP faction are cool to the idea, and a final decision on the matter will be made after the former lawmaker speaks with faction executives and his supporters, they said.

The LDP is planning to hammer out a draft to revise the Constitution in 2005. Sources said there are people within the party who want Yamasaki, who is well-versed in matters concerning the supreme code, to swiftly return to national politics and lead these efforts.

Yamasaki, burned by an adultery scandal, lost to a Democratic Party of Japan candidate in the Fukuoka No. 2 constituency in the Lower House election.