president Tokyo, Feb 27, SPA -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton saidSunday that his wife, Hillary, would be an excellent choiceas the first female leader of the world's most powerfulnation. In an interview with Japan's TV Asahi, Clinton said he didnot know whether his wife, the senator of New York state,has any plans to one day run for the presidency, which hasbeen held by 43 men but no women. "I don't know if she'll run or not," he told thenetwork, but added, "She would make an excellentpresident, and I would always try to help her." Hillary Rodham Clinton has said she plans to run forre-election as New York senator in 2006. Speculation hasperiodically surfaced, however, that the 57-year-old formerfirst lady may have her sights set for the presidency in2008. Results from a U.S. poll released last week showed thatsix in 10 American voters believe the United States isready for a female president. Fifty-three percent thought Hillary Clinton should try forthe job, according to the survey by the Siena CollegeResearch Institute and sponsored by Hearst Newspapers. "If she did run and she was able to win, she'd make avery, very good president," Clinton said Sunday. "I thinknow she's at least as good as I was." Clinton was in Japan on a three-day visit to attend aninternational forum organized by the Asahi newspaper and topromote a Japanese-language edition of his best-sellingmemoir "My Life."--SPA1206 Local Time 0906 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/242682