MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Elections next March?

Peronist governors of Argentina's three leading provinces apparently are in agreement that the next general election should be held on March 2003, six months before the official date line, according to reports in the Buenos Aires press.

La Nación reports that in this week's Peronist governors summit with president Eduardo Duhalde, governors Felipe Solá from Buenos Aires, Carlos Reutemann from Santa Fe and José de la Sota from Córdoba proposed general elections be held next March including all elected posts.

Apparently other provincial governors also supported the proposal, which contradicts President Duhalde's reiterated announcement that elections will be held next September 2003 with his successor taking office in December.

"I have said that the best thing is to vote", said Cordoba's Governor De la Sota who for the first time openly establishes differences with the government. "Mr. Duhalde was elected following an agreement between the Radicalismo and the Buenos Aires province Peronist group, but we the governors did not participate of that nomination", indicated Mr. De la Sota.

The Córdoba governor went on to say that "undoubtedly, the Duhalde administration is a weak government, and I'm not blaming him personally".

Mr. De la Sota added he favored a renewal of all elected posts, from President to local councillors, as the latest polls in Argentina clearly indicate.

According to Catteberg & Associates, 92% of those interviewed favour a complete renewal and in a similar poll by Gallup, 82% replied in the same way.

President Duhalde met at the beginning of this week with the 14 Peronists provincial governors to request full support for the approval of legislation demanded by the International Monetary Fund to resume much needed financial aid to a broke and defaulted Argentina.

Twelve of the governors specifically expressed their support, which was seen at mid week in Congress with the derogation of a most controversial "economic subversion bill" dating back to the seventies in the midst of the struggle against the Marxist oriented guerrillas and which was being applied indiscriminately to bankers, investors, ministers and businessmen.

The two dissident provinces are Santa Cruz and San Luis, both with their finances neatly balanced and their governors, Mr. Kichner and Mr. Rodríguez Sáa most willing to participate in the next presidential election. Santa Cruz in the extreme south of Argentina is rich in gas and oil royalties, while San Luis has an industrial promotion area that has attracted many industries to the province.