MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

President Kirchner re-elected?

Argentina is still one year away from midterm elections, but some leading politicians are already thinking about the presidential vote in 2007 and mentioning President Néstor Kirchner as a good candidate for re-election.

Two governors of the ruling Peronist party, Entre Ríos' Jorge Busti and San Juan's José Luis Gioja, publicly expressed their support yesterday to Kirchner's eventual re-election bid.

"Kirchner has to head the administration beyond 2007 and I commit to support him if he decides to run," said Busti in an interview published by the daily La Nación.

"We believe Kirchner is soon going to sort out the foreign debt situation and he has also showed a strong federalist approach during his administration," said Busti.

In his viewpoint, it is not too early to talk about presidential candidacies. "In politics you have to indicate where you want to get," he said.

After reading Busti's remarks, Gioja also came out in favour of an eventual second term for Kirchner.

"I think this President is good for the country. We are overcoming the worst crisis ever and we are heading toward a better horizon. The provinces are doing well because the President believes in federalism and there is good dialogue with the national administration," said Gioja. "Kirchner is the best representative of the Peronist party at the moment," added Gioja.

A governor of the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz for over a decade, Kirchner won the presidency in May last year despite coming in second in the April 27 presidential election.

The winner of the race, former president Carlos Menem, walked out of the second round as polls indicated he was heading toward a crushing defeat. Menem is now saying he will run for president again in 2007.

Argentina's Constitution allows for only one consecutive re-election.