MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Elections can be advanced”

Following the growing paralysis of his administration and with international credit totally non existent and the country in the verge of defaulting with multilateral organizations such as the IMF, Argentine president Eduardo Duhalde admitted to Brazilian television that “presidential elections scheduled for next March can be advanced for December or January”, but this depends on the Judiciary branch.

"The only reason for not having advanced the elections is the electoral system. If we didn't have party primaries, we could be voting next December or January", stressed Mr. Duhalde adding that Argentine legislation demands primary elections in all parties to nominate candidates".

Several Justicialista Party hopefuls among which former president Carlos Menem, former San Luis governor who's leading in the polls Adolfo Rodríguez Sáa, and now even Cordoba governor Manuel De la Sota, the closest pre candidate to president Duhalde, are demanding that elections scheduled for March be advanced.

"I've convened elections; we're giving money to the Electoral Council to organize them, from the Executive branch the issue is over. The initiative now stands with Congress or the Judiciary branch", remarked president Duhalde.