The Presidency Of Argentina Is A Family Affair

There is an election for President of Argentina on October 28, 2007. The current President of Argentina, Nestor Kirchner, has decided not to run for reelection. However, it does not appear that he will be moving to a new address anytime soon. His wife, Argentina’s first Lady (and a Senator), is running for the Presidency and is well ahead in the latest public opinion polls. It looks like Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner will be the next President of Argentina by the end of October 2007. She would become Argentina's first elected woman president.

There is much discussion in Argentina about a Kirchner political dynasty. There is no major opposition party to challenge the Kirchners. The thirteen independent opposition candidates to Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner have struggled to initiate their campaigns. None of the candidates has the support of an established political party with strong backing in all regions of the country.

A survey published in La Nación newspaper last week estimated that Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has 39.8 percent of the vote, and was leading all other candidates by twenty percentage points. To avoid a November runoff, the winner of the election must get at least 45 percent of all votes cast, or get at least 40 percent and defeat the nearest challenger by at least 10 points.

The Kirchners have been involved in Argentina politics for more than twenty years. After the fall of the country's military government and the return of democracy in 1983, Nestor Kirchner joined the provincial government, raised his profile, became mayor of Santa Cruz's capital, and was elected the province's governor in the early 1990s. He was elected president of Argentina in 2003.

Kirchner's interventionist economic policies are often criticized and his government has been shaken by recent corruption scandals. Yet he remains popular and is credited with helping to revive the country after a severe 2001-02 economic crisis. Since he took office in 2003, the economy has grown about 8 percent annually and unemployment has plummeted. However, he has no real interest in diplomacy and holds organizations such as the International Monetary Fund in little regard.

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner gained a national reputation when she joined the Senate in 1995. She was quickly labeled a rebel for refusing to adhere to her party's positions. She developed a reputation as a good opposition senator. She had strong views, wasn't afraid to share them, talked to journalists, and loved television exposure.

When her husband became the President of Argentina, Cristina decided to become active in the legislature. After a few years in provincial government, she jumped to the national stage and became senator for Santa Cruz. In 2005, she decided she'd rather represent the people of Buenos Aires province, the country's most populous. She easily won the election.

However, after her husband came to power, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's approach to politics changed. The woman who excelled in debates began to avoid them. She refused to debate her main opponent when running for the seat in Buenos Aires. She has become known for avoiding reporters. She criticizes the press at every turn, and has been responsible for holding up a freedom-of-information law in Congress. The truth is that nothing gets done in the Congress in Argentina without her knowledge and approval.

Her Presidential election campaign has encompassed a world wide trail. She has made campaign appearances in France, Germany, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, and the United States as well as other countries. Instead of campaign events to attract voters for the Oct. 28, 2007 election in Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has been courting allies and investors for her Presidency in 2008 and the years beyond. Her critics claim that her campaign has not addressed the country's issues of energy shortages, tension among labor unions, and fears that the economic recovery isn't as solid as the government claims.

Inflation has become the biggest campaign issue for critics of the Kirchners. Although most independent economists say that Argentina's inflation this year will likely hover at 15 to 20 percent, government estimates cut that figure roughly in half. The difference has led to widespread accusations of data tampering on the part of government officials

In Argentina, a person can't hold the Presidency for more than two consecutive terms. The prevailing theory is that an election of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is an attempt by Argentina's political power couple to circumvent this constitutional ban. If Kirchner's wife wins this year, he could campaign to replace her in the following election, and they could continue alternating terms for years to come.

Indeed, to avoid a transfer of power inherent in the two consecutive term constitutional mandate, the Kirchners are trying to turn the Presidency of Argentina into a family affair.

http://www.eworldvu.com