MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchner accused of promoting fascism practices

Former Argentine president Fernando De la Rua accused Friday president Nestor Kirchner of taking Argentina to the “dangerous threshold of fascism” for having disrespected and poked fun of presidential institutions.

"Who ever ridicules the presidential institution, poking fun of the presidential office, is not worthy of that responsibility. The parody with two ministers as comic actors in the cast was regrettable. We must feel pity for president Kirchner", said De la Rúa in an brief statement warning he is considering taking legal actions.

In the last show of one of Buenos Aires most popular television comic programs, a clownish actor playing the part of former president De la Rua returns to the Casa Rosada and to the presidential office looking for his pills and to have a nap in the adjoining dormitory.

In December 2002, in the midst of a political chaos and collapse of the Argentine economy, elected president De la Rua resigned and abandoned Government House in a helicopter to avoid the thousands of protestors who had taken to the streets of downtown Buenos Aires.

In the parody a confused De la Rua returns allegedly for his memory pills, forgotten in the presidential office. When he knocks the door, president Kirchner lets him in and helps an exhilarating De la Rua finds the pills in a desk draw. And when he's leaving, he misses the main door and enters the adjoining dormitory where the former president remembers the naps he used to enjoy in the cozy bed.

The memory short De la Rua in his roving along the offices and corridors of the Government House meets with two of Kirchner's closest aides, Cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez and Economy Minister Felisa Miceli who in brief exchanges half jokingly, half seriously tell him they are working very hard to end all the deficits and chaos he left behind when he resigned and fled. In the last scene the old, confused but happy with his pills former president abandons Government House.

Cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez when asked to comment Mr. De la Rua's harsh words about the show involving the president and two ministers said "what was tragic was not the sketch but former president De la Rua who abandoned Casa Rosada leaving twenty people dead in the streets of Buenos Aires".

"The intention of the parody was a little end of the year humour, and I think people understood it that way. De la Rua instead of calling the present administration fascist should look back and review the performance of his shameful administration".

Marcelo Tinelli the conductor and director of the comic program said that "the former president is a person who seems to have forgotten the reasons why he had to leave Government House in a helicopter".

"Actually I think President Kirchner's acting was superb and it's one of the best sketches we've managed in the last 16 years", underlined Tinelli.

But the chairman of the Radical Party to which Mr. De la Rua belongs, Roberto Iglesias said that President Kirchner instead of participating in humorous programs "should begin taking things seriously. I see nothing funny in what he promoted".

Mr. Kirchner with his parody has shown Argentine "his despise and scorn for democratic institutions", insisted Mr. Iglesias.