MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan presidential race moves to Buenos Aires.

The two leading candidates for the coming presidential election in Uruguay next October 31 will be travelling to Buenos Aires to campaign among the many Uruguayans living in Argentina.

Jorge Larrañaga from the National or "Blanco" party is scheduled next Friday in Buenos Aires to participate in some of Argentina's most popular midday and evening programs which can be seen on both sides of the River Plate.

Mr. Larrañaga who has a 34% vote intention is also planning further incursions to Buenos Aires in a week's time. Montevideo Uruguay's capital is only 25 minutes flight from Buenos Aires.

The opposition left wing coalition candidate Tabare Vazquez will be flying to Buenos Aires next Monday October 18th invited to a midday lunch program in one of Buenos Aires television stations.

At mid morning Mr. Vazquez will be received in Casa Rosada (Government House) by Argentine president Nestor Kirchner who strongly supports the left wing candidate and clearly leads in opinion polls with 46 to 48% of the vote.

Late in the evening Mr. Vazquez will be the main speaker in an open political rally in downtown Buenos Aires.

The Broad Front as the left coalition is named would like to see 50,000 residents in Argentina cross over to vote in Uruguay ensuring Mr. Vazquez victory in the first round with 50% of votes plus one. In the event of a second round this is scheduled for the last Sunday of November.

In Uruguay voting is compulsory but there's no overseas vote.

With this in mind Broad Front officials reached an agreement with a local ferry company for transporting potential voters at a subsidized fare.

President Kirchner also extended a friendly hand to presidential hopeful Mr. Vazquez by decreeing a day's holiday for Uruguayans who wish to travel to Uruguay and vote the last weekend of October.

Argentine Minister of Interior Anibal Fernandez anticipated that if there's a runoff in November, President Kirchner would sign a second decree with the same purpose.

President Kirchner and the Uruguayan ruling president Jorge Batlle from the Colorado Party have been at odds over several issues including foreign affairs, Mercosur, trade and have a difficult personal relation.

Guillermo Stirling the Colorado Party candidate figures a distant third in public opinion polls with a mere 9% of vote intention.