MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

First Lady Kirchner on the presidential campaign trail

The Argentine government has launched a campaign in support of First Lady, Senator Cristina Fernandez as a possible candidate for next year's presidential election. Several ministers and leaders in different rallies praised the fiery lady's talent and dedication.

"She has all the conditions needed to be president, and more", said chief cabinet minister Alberto Fernandez.

"First Lady Cristina is a natural protagonist of this country-project and has the character to lead the nation as president", said vicepresident Daniel Scioli.

Fernandez went further adding that "Cristina Kirchner is a unique person in the Argentine political spectrum: she has the capacity, dedication and intelligence to lead", added Mr. Fernandez who underlined "she will make a good president".

Defense minister Nilda Garré said the Senator "would make an excellent candidate" because she has proved to be "a top class leader".

"There are women presidents in Germany and Chile, and all indicates that France is in the same trail", said Minister Garré.

Although in private top officials from the Kirchner administration don't discard that the president could eventually run for re-election, the project has cooled after three governors and close associates of his had to give up re-election initiatives, following the defeat in the test province of Misiones.

Last October 30 an opposition coalition of local forces and groupings led by a popular bishop, with the blessing of the Argentine Catholic Church, comfortably defeated an indefinite re-election project sponsored by Misiones governor Carlos Rovira, closely related to President Kirchner's political project for 2007.

Rovira was openly supported by President Kirchner and abundant federal resources were invested in the political enterprise. But Rovira's defeat has been interpreted as a setback for President Kirchner.

Last Friday, governor Eduardo Fellner, governor of the province of Jujuy announced that following on Kirchner's "suggestion" he was stepping down from the project to reform the constitution, which would have opened the way for a third consecutive term re-election.

A similar attitude was adopted last Monday by the governor of Argentina's most political important electoral district, the province of Buenos Aires with over 14 million people. Felipe Solá announced he was giving up his 2007 re-election bid.

Argentine political analysts estimate that President Kirchner has apparently decided not to run for re-election in 2007.

In a political rally last Friday Kirchner said that on December 10, 2007, when "I end my mandate, I will be able to tell the Argentine people" that the country finally is "out of the inferno" caused by the 2001/02 melting of the Argentine economy.