MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Duhalde rejects advancing election

President Eduardo Duhalde administration rejected once again demands to advance the Argentine general election for next December, instead of March 2003 as scheduled in the official electoral calendar.

The official request came from outstanding candidates of the ruling Justicialista party, former president Carlos Menem and former governor Adolfo Rodríguez Sáa who is leading in the polls.

Both coincide in pointing towards the growing political weakness, and international isolation of the current government which has been unable to get the economy rolling again and obtain some sort of agreement with foreign creditors.

The official calendar establishes party primaries to nominate candidates in December and the presidential election next March.

"We have an electoral calendar and it has been ratified a thousand times. Jumping over the primaries is not a government decision. We must keep to the law", said Alfredo Astanoff Chief cabinet minister.

Originally Mr. Duhalde was supposed to complete former president De la Rúa's four year mandate in December 2003 who resigned in December 2001 following street rioting with killings and lack of Congressional support. But similarly unable to cope with the situation, president Duhalde advanced general elections six months to March 2003 with the newly elected president taking office May 25th.

However if given the current political instability, the general election is further advanced for next December the Argentine government must define how the parties will nominate their presidential candidates.