MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina needs a “full time” Foreign Secretary

The influential Buenos Aires daily La Nación Thursday's main editorial called on Foreign Secretary Rafael Bielsa to resign because the Foreign Affairs ministry is a task of huge responsibility and therefore can't be in the hands of a “part time” official.

Mr. Bielsa one of the outstanding figures of the Argentine cabinet, should present his resignation before the beginning of his official campaign for the Lower House in representation of the city of Buenos Aires, which he just launched, so as not to interfere with the full performance of the job, argues La Nacion.

It would be an "ethical gesture" that would eliminate all suspicions of support for his candidacy from the (powerful) structure of government. Otherwise it would be a clear indication that the "national government is more concerned with the electoral campaign to help the President "plebiscite" his administration than the management of foreign policy, which inevitably will be unattended" .

La Nacion admits there's no legal impediment for Mr. Bielsa to address the two tasks, candidate and minister, but appealing to "republican ethics", he should step aside as has happened with other ministers who ran for office.

"It's always good to appeal to the examples of those who make great efforts to put an end to conflicts of interests so keeping the flame of democracy lively and giving, respect for republican ethics an outstanding position".

Furthermore underlines La Nacion, if the President has asked Mr. Bielsa to run for office and help him with the mid term elections it's obvious Mr. Kirchner already had decided on who will replace him, because unless the ruling party suffers an electoral catastrophe in Buenos Aires city next October, in December the Foreign Secretary will be sworn in as a member of the Lower House.

The other option would be for Mr. Bielsa to continue as Foreign Secretary after the elections, thus giving up his seat, which could be considered a deceitful attitude towards the voters.

Minister Bielsa has said he can manage the two jobs by concentrating in the multilateral agenda and physical presence in major events such as the United Nations General Assembly, leaving bilateral affairs to Deputy minister Jorge Taiana.

However La Nacion highlights that if Argentina pretends to begin occupying an important role in world affairs and participate in the solution of conflicts in several Latinamerican countries such as Bolivia, a full time Minister of Foreign Affairs is needed.

Consequently there are no apparent motives to postpone until December the replacement of the Foreign Affairs minister, concludes La Nacion.