MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Kirchner administration furious with former minister

The Argentine government said Sunday that former economy minister Roberto Lavagna is a “cosmetic candidate” supported by former presidents Eduardo Duhalde and Raúl Alfonsín who are longing “to have some presence in the polls” for next year's presidential elections.

"They are inviting us to go back 20 years in Argentina, to reach a great accord in the Buenos Aires province to support a figurehead candidate who allows them to have some presence in opinion polls," Cabinet Chief Alberto Fernández told radio station América. Without naming him, centre-left Peronist President Néstor Kirchner on Friday criticized Lavagna, saying that the former minister is presenting himself as a presidential candidate when what "the fatherland needs is work and investments, not candidates."

Kirchner, who enjoys strong popular support, is widely expected to seek re-election. Alfonsín, a Radical, supports Lavagna as a candidate of a coalition of Radicals, Peronists followers of Duhalde, and Socialists.

Some of the few legislators still loyal to former president Duhalde are holding permanent contacts with Lavagna. Both Duhalde and Alfonsín have their main base of support in the Buenos Aires province, which accounts for nearly 40% of Argentina's population and voting roll.

Duhalde helped Kirchner become president but they later became arch-rivals and Kirchner inflicted on Duhalde an overwhelming defeat in last October's midterm elections. Duhalde later said that he was quitting active politics although he had said the same thing previously and made comebacks.

Kirchner said that the presidential candidate of a national "concertation" he has called for, will only be named shortly before the October 2007 election. He also made it clear that the candidate will be a "penguin" ? meaning from his inner circle.

Former Minister Lavagna has said that he will not talk about candidacies until next year but he has been highly critical of government policies, sparking a strong reaction from the administration. Lavagna is widely credited with putting Argentina's economy back on the path of growth after its worst crisis in history.

Interior Minister Aníbal Fernández renewed his criticism of Lavagna, saying that the minister who was fired in November was being "insulting" in his criticism of the government policies to keep prices under control.

"The statements he made in the La Nación newspaper against (Economy minister) Felisa (Miceli) are aggravating," the interior minister told Radio Mitre.

Chubut Governor Mario Das Neves, a close supporter of Kirchner, told Radio 10 that Kirchner's remarks about a "male or female penguin" presidential candidate for 2007 made it clear that the eventual candidate would be either the President himself or his wife, Senator Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Das Neves also said that Lavagna would have very little voting support.

However, Interior Minister Fernández said that actually Kirchner's remarks only meant that the candidate will belong to Kirchner's inner circle and will "not necessarily" be the President or the first lady.Meanwhile, Kirchner's call for a restricted "concertation" among some political forces, continued to spark infighting among the scattered Radical party.

Mar del Plata Radical Mayor Daniel Katz said that Kirchner was being sincere when he speaks about a more "pluralistic" Argentina, although he added that he doesn't know whether the presidential entourage is also sincere.

Deputy Federico Storani said that in some cases some Radical governors and mayors support Kirchner "out of personal speculation" and that in other cases "it is evident that there are (government) ways to seduce them." Buenos Aires Herald