MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Almost a plebiscite” for the Kirchner administration

The idea of a victory which was “almost a plebiscite” on the current Argentine administration is the official message that has emerged following Sunday's mid term election when President Nestor Kirchner and allies obtained a resounding victory in the crucial province of Buenos Aires and 17 other districts.

"We're very happy because we've received an enormous support from all the country, which was almost a plebiscite on the performance of the administration", said Argentina's cabinet chief Anibal Fernandez who also underlined the 20% vote obtained in the city of Buenos Aires, traditionally a stronghold contrary to the party that has dominated Argentine politics for the last six decades, the Peronists or Justicialistas.

As to President Kirchner's future plans including a reelection bid in 2007, Mr. Fernandez was cautious, "our main objective is that on ending our mandate we can walk the streets of Argentina with the same ease we're doing today".

"Or course I would support a second term for President Kirchner, but the issue was never addressed", insisted the cabinet chief.

President Kirchner so far has preferred to smile and promise to talk about Sunday's results once he has "analyzed" and interpreted the new political scenario.

But a cabinet reshuffle is anticipated since three ministers will now join Congress, Foreign Affairs Rafael Bielsa; Defence Jose Pampuro and Welfare, Alicia Kirchner.

However independent analysts even admitting an undisputed victory for Mr. Kirchner point out to the fact that he now has a clear first minority at national level and in the crucial province of Buenos Aires, with an atomized opposition, both inside and outside the ruling coalition.

Rosendo Fraga one of Argentina's top political analysts argues that President Kirchner and his newly created "Victory Front" now enjoy a "strong first minority" in Congress, but not an absolute majority, and with no serious challenges to the right or left.

"A centre right headed by Mauricio Macri, the big winner in the City of Buenos Aires, only manages 10/12% at national level; Socialists were victorious in the province of Santa Fe which is an important electoral circuit, but they don't have a national structure", points out Mr. Fraga.

And in the province of Buenos Aires the defeated traditional Peronist leader and former caretaker president Eduardo Duhalde, although debilitated still has a relevant number of Deputies in the Lower House.

"There's a clear victory for Mr. Kirchner as a first national minority and first minority in the province of Buenos Aires, which becomes a clear leading minority in the Lower House. But in none of the three scenarios it's an absolute majority victory".

Mr. Fraga mentions as the big winners of last Sunday, (First Lady) Cristina Kirchner elected Senator by a sweeping 44% in the province of Buenos Aires; businessman Mauricio Macri in the City of Buenos Aires; Jorge Sobisch in Neuquen province who anticipated he would be running for president in 2007 and Adolfo Rodriguez Saa, undisputed leader for decades in the province of San Luis and where his candidates won by a landslide 69% of the vote.