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Not running for presidency in 2016: Hillary Clinton

October 19, 2012 08:39 IST

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denied speculations over contesting for presidency in 2016 and said that she would be "cheering" for the country's first woman president.

"I am going to be cheering them on. I hope to be around when we finally elect a woman president. That would be a great experience for me, to be up there cheering," Clinton told a magazine in an interview.

Clinton, who had an unsuccessful bid for presidency in 2008 when she lost to Barack Obama in the Democratic Party primaries, has repeatedly denied reports that she intends to seek the highest office of the country, which has eluded a woman so far, in 2016.

"I am not," she replied when asked if she was planning to run in the 2016 presidential elections.

"I have been on this high wire of national and international politics and leadership for 20 years. It has been an absolutely extraordinary personal honour and experience. But I really want to just have my own time back. I want to just be my own person. I am looking forward to that," Clinton added.

Having served at the Secretary of State in the first term of the Obama administration, Clinton had said that she would leave the post of the top American diplomat in January when the new administration is sworn in.

Lalit K Jha
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