MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Bielsa criticized for his double role, candidate and minister

Argentine Foreign Affairs minister Rafael Bielsa who last weekend announced he will be running for office in the Lower House for the city of Buenos Aires came under heavy flak from his competitors who are demanding he abandons his cabinet post.

Mr. Bielsa emphasized it will be President Kirchner who determines whether he resigns or not to his post and insisted he's interested in a "serious, non aggressive" campaign.

Conservative candidate Mauricio Macri said it was hard to visualize how Mr. Bielsa could be a candidate for Buenos Aires city, which he hardly knows, "since he's from Rosario and spends most of his time overseas travelling".

However Mr. Bielsa refused to get involved in a discussion with Mr. Macri whom he described as a "thoughtless madcap", and said it's "President Kirchner who decides on our performances. As far as I'm concerned as soon as I understand both tasks are incompatible, (candidate and minister) I'll let him know and he will decide if I should continue or not".

Mr. Macri said Mr. Bielsa was more interested in disqualifying than proposing "but I'm sure we'll meet before October 23 in a debate".

Left wing candidate Elisa Carrió indicated that having Mr. Bielsa as candidate and minister is a very big risk for the Argentine government given the current South American situation.

"South America is too complicated, the Bolivian situation is tragic, therefore a risk. I don't want to be critical but I'm concerned about making politics out of foreign policy which is a national issue. We'll end having to look after the minister for the sake of the country's image", argued Ms. Carrió.

Diego Guelar, former ambassador and foreign policy advisor of candidate Macri said "Bielsa is a good candidate but it's outrageous he hasn't resigned. Being a candidate and acting as minister are two tasks and responsibilities completely different".

Patricia Bullrich, who's running for a local party regretted Mr. Bielsa, "whom I respect and like him", has become the candidate of the old Peronist structure of the city of Buenos Aires.

"He's not a Peronist but he has accepted to run for an obsolete Peronist organization which last time supported Mr. Macri as its candidate", stressed Ms. Bullrich.

Foreign Secretary Bielsa will be addressing this Wednesday the United Nations Decolonization Committee on the Falklands claim issue.