MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

First round for President Kirchner

Argentine president Nestor Kirchner's “horizontal” strategy of knitting political alliances showing “new faces”, with the purpose of defeating the powerful structure of the traditional Peronist party under control of former caretaker president Eduardo Duhalde proved successful in one of the less populated provinces of the country.

Last Sunday a Radical led alliance endorsed by President Kirchner managed a comfortable first round victory in the elections for governor of Corrientes with 60% of the vote, and with an even higher percentage in the provincial capital, Corrientes City.

Arturo Colombi of the ruling Front for All coalition, and cousin of the current governor, defeated Carlos Rubin and his United for Corrientes grouping which had the backing of former governor and strongman Tato Romero Feris and Mr. Duhalde.

Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez joined the celebrations and described victory as "magic", a vote "for a proposal looking to the future and not to the past".

"This victory consolidates the integration we have achieved with the national government of President Kirchner", said Arturo Colombi.

Actually it's more than it looks since it's a first great step for Mr. Kirchner's strategy of turning October 23 mid term elections into a plebiscite for his administration. President Kirchner reached office with a very modest 22% in May 2003 and needs a resounding victory to consolidate his political standing and future aspirations, re-election in 2007.

Sunday October 23 Argentines will be voting half of the Lower House seats and a third of the Senate, and Mr.

Kirchner would like to count with a strong Congressional backing that responds to him and not to Mr. Duhalde or other Peronist leaders.

The Corrientes victory was worked on a deal which included the Lieutenant Governor job and the first two candidates for the province's three seats in the Lower House named by Mr. Kirchner.

The third Deputy hopeful is current governor Ricardo Colombi whose successful administration received ample financial and capital investment support from the federal government, particularly with the purpose of eroding the influence of the Romero Feris family which dominated Corrientes politics for decades.

Mr. Romero Feris banned from running for office, since he was three years in jail for corruption, supported Peronist candidate United for Corrientes Carlos Rubin who only managed 36% of the vote.

But more devastating was the defeat of his wife Mayor Nora Nazar who was running for re-election in Corrientes City, the family's bastion which represents a third of the province's vote. She lost to the current provincial Minister of Culture Carlos Vignolo who obtained 62% of the vote.

Radical party (of former presidents Raul Alfonsin and Fernando de la Rua) current national committee president Angel Rozas described Sunday's results as "very positive". "Of course the support of Presiden|t Kirchner helped, but the true reason for victory is the Radical-Peronist alliance led by a Radical", emphasized Mr. Rozas.

Preparing for the post October 23 Congressional alliance?