MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

A “friendly” test match.

The governor election in the north-eastern Argentine province of Misiones this coming Sunday has turned into a “friendly” test match dispute between president Nestor Kirchner and his mentor former president Eduardo Duhalde, both belonging to the Justicialista ruling party.

Mr. Duhalde and Kirchner recently made it a point to underline that there are no rifts between the all mighty leader of the province of Buenos Aires and the former governor of the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz with a scant population of just over 200,000.

On the contrary both have publicly stated agreement on all major government policies and their implementation. However Misiones governorship race is turning into an amicable national battle ground, a possible anticipation of the future when Mr. Kirchner unveils his re-election aspirations for 2007 and Mr. Duhalde might have other plans if he wants to retain full control of Argentina's strongest party. An almost hegemonic party with some of the main national or provincial races limited to disputes inside the powerful electoral machinery.

President Kirchner supports current governor Carlos Rovira who is running for re-election as an outside candidate, since the official Justicialista hopeful with the blessing of Mr. Duhalde is Senator Ramón Puerta, a legislator that was instrumental in paving the way for the former president's nomination by Congress in the midst of the December 2001 political crisis and collapse of the Argentine economy.

Mr. Duhalde was the main speaker at the closing of Mr. Puerta's campaign and although he emphasized his commitment was to ensure that Peronism becomes the tool that will transform Argentina, he also made it clear that "Puerta is Misiones greatest hope".

Argentine press reports indicate that current governor Rovira leads in the polls in spite of Mr. Duhalde campaigning. Mr. Rovira promised Mr. Kirchner will be in Misiones on Sunday to celebrate victory.

Actually Mr. Duhalde in Misiones is trying to confirm orthodox Peronism with its strong grass root leadership and electoral machines in counties and provinces. Mr. Kirchner on the other hand is working on a long term project adding sectors from outside Peronism as happened in the city of Buenos Aires, or independent Peronist candidates running outside the disciplined party, such as in Misiones.

This should enable Mr. Kirchner and his ambitions ensure his own political support which at present he lacks and was "loaned" by Mr. Duhalde particularly in Argentina's main electoral circumscription, the province of Buenos Aires, crucial for any presidential election.

Therefore this Sunday Misiones should help anticipate the Argentine future, and give an idea of the strength of two different political projects: Mr. Duhalde's orthodox, vertical and historical approach of strong regional leaders or Mr. Kirchner's confluence of political similarities and interests, as happened in the city of Buenos Aires where left wing non Peronist Mayor Anibal Ibarra managed re-election defeating businessman Mauricio Macri, a declared Peronist and president of Argentina's most popular football team, Boca Juniors.

In Buenos Aires the Kirchner couple openly campaigned for Mr. Ibarra and although Mr. Duhalde did not participate actively, his vote and best wishes went for Mr. Macri.