Seiko Noda won the Gifu Provincial seat in the House of Representatives in the Sept. 11 election. Ms. Noda formerly Minister of Post & Communication, has recently split from the Liberal Democratic Party over Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's privitazation of the National Postal Service. She has been dubbed the "Joan of Arc" of politics for rebeling against privitazation. She is a powerful female political figurehead, in whom the public would like to see run for the position of Prime Minister in the future.