MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cobos will not summon Congress while Mrs Kirchner is out of the country

The Argentine Vice-president Julio Cobos has been repeatedly accused of “conspirator” by Kirchner stalwarts

Argentine Vice-President Julio Cobos confirmed Thursday that he will not summon the Congress for an extraordinary session to discuss the Argentine Central Bank emergency decrees while Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is not at the country and added that those versions are “distrustful”.

Vice-president Cobos said in a statement that Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernández's accusations were “an offence” and added that he “did not make any decision” when he had to be in charge of the Executive Branch while the president was not at the country.

In declarations to Buenos Aires media, the Cabinet Chief compared the vice-president with Judas Iscariote and said that “we can not trust the administration to Cobos.”

The different versions appeared after the head of the Kirchnerite bloc at the Lower House, Agustín Rossi, admitted that “technically” Cobos could call for extraordinary sessions while the Head of State was out of the country and the vice-president is in charge of the Executive Branch.

Mrs. Kirchner will travel to China by the end of the month and will return during the first days of February. During this period, Cobos will be in charge of the administration of the country and will have the same faculties as the President.

Nevertheless, Rossi warned that if Cobos made any decision of this kind he would ratify the government's accusations about “attempting to destabilize the country.”

“Every time I've been in charge of the Executive Branch, while the president was travelling, I've worked perfectly and never made decisions, or signed decrees, or any other action against the Executive Branch policies” assured Cobos.

And added that “I've only signed a decree to honour the ex President Raúl Alfonsín when he died and the President had previously supported”.

Meanwhile lawmakers from several opposition sectors asked President Cristina Kirchner to summon extraordinary sessions in the National Congress to debate the removal of Central Bank head Martín Redrado from his post. The different sectors sent their petition through a letter.

At the same time, they warned that if they do not have a response from the head of state or from the Lower House President Eduardo Fellner, they will be “asked to treat the issue,” as is stated in the rules of both houses.

“We believe that the session is already scheduled from the moment when the President signed the decree, but we are giving her a chance to personally call forth the meeting,” said Civic Coalition lawmaker Patricia Bullrich during a press conference.