MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Grass root politics for Alfonsín

Former Argentine president Raúl Alfonsín is expected to resign his Senate bench and commit himself fully to “grass root politics”, according to his closest aides.

Argentine press sources indicate that Mr. Alfonsín has been forced to the "political trail" after having lost control of his party in the Senate and having had to vote several controversial bills, --demanded by international creditors of Argentina--, as part of the coalition agreement with Peronist President Eduardo Duhalde.

"He will be more useful working for the party than in Parliament", said Raúl Alconda Sampé a close aide and confident of Mr. Alfonsín.

The Radical Party is in the midst of an implosion process since the resignation and failure of the former President Fernando de la Rúa administration last December, and Mr. Alfonsín has been severely questioned for having agreed to a coalition with the Peronist party to name Eduardo Duhalde Argentina's president and approve legislation contrary to the party's standing, particularly regarding IMF demands and repealing controversial legislation such as the bankruptcy and economic subversion laws.

"Alfonsín is fed up with the internal divisions in the Radicalismo and having every day to vote disgusting laws", said another close Senate aide.

The last stroke was the creation of a splinter group of Radical Senators headed by Rodolfo Terragno, who's disputing Mr. Alfonsin's leadership.

"He should have never become a Senator", recall dissident Radicales in direct reference to the 1999 elections when Mr. Alfonsín was elected Senator for the minority, with Mr. Duhalde winning with a landslide.

"Alfonsín bashing by the opposition, the business community and even common citizens has become a national sport", added the dissidents.