MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Intense lobbying by Kirchner and farmers for Senate votes

After the tight victory in the Lower House the Argentine government and the farmers are preparing for the decisive battle, on the controversial grains and oilseeds export taxes, in the Senate, where intense lobbying has begun and on independent accounts it's an open race.

The Argentine Senate has 72 members and needs a quorum of 37 to begin considering the issue which will see the final result on the taxing proposal during a long full session next July 16 when whoever musters half plus one votes takes the day. Senator Miguel Pichetto, leader of the Kirchner group which is the largest inside the ruling coalition senatorial majority was quoted stating that he's "cool and confident" about the coming debate and certain he has 38 votes tightly knit together. "We've always had a significant number in the Senate. I feel cool and confident. I'd rather not talk about numbers but rather of the importance that it is the Senate which will be deciding" the export tax issue, underlined Pichetto, who discarded the introduction of amendments to the bill passed in the Lower House. If the bill is modified it would have to be redrafted in the Lower House. But Pichetto had to admit that another Kirchner faithful was forced back to his Senate bench to ensure the solid block that will support the sliding export taxes bill which was decreed by the Executive last March 11, triggering a major farmers revolt and now full blown political crisis. It was precisely the return to the Senate of Eric Calcagno that opposition Socialist senator Rubén Giustiniani points out to the government's uncertainty about having the necessary number of votes in the higher house. "They are not certain about the final outcome, that's why he's back", said Senator Giustiniani. Besides, the bill passed by the Lower House with special compensations and benefits for small farmers is only applicable until October 31, when the 2007/08 crop officially ends. The amendments introduced to the original resolution 145 and favoring small farmers allowed several members of the Lower House turn around and support the government position although they had originally promised to vote against the taxes rejected by farmers. Kirchner faithful Senator Fabian Rios who presides over the Budget and Finance Committee, one of the hurdles before reaching the full house, was also optimistic about obtaining the necessary eight votes. "I think we have a good opportunity in the Senate. Amendments introduced in the Lower House contemplate small farmers so there's no need for modifications", said Rios. But political analysts point out that the Budget Committee will have to fight hard for the eighth vote, Senator Pablo Verani from the Patagonian province of Rio Negro famous for its ski resorts and apples and pears. And it was precisely the promise to abolish export taxes on apples and pears that turned around his Lower House elected colleagues, in spite of promises to the contrary, giving the Kirchner administration the slim victory of 129 to 122. "A first glance indicates the government has sufficient votes but there are quite a number of Senators who would like to have amendments included in the bill", said Pablo Orsolini from one of the farmers' organizations. "We know Senators from Santa Fe, La Pampa, Salta, Rio Negro, Catamarca, and Tucuman are having second thoughts" he added. "It's too early to forecast". Orsolini said farm leaders will be intensively lobbying Senators "until the last day", and "I imagine the government will do the same". The farm leader said "it would all have been much easier and less exhausting if we had sat round a table from the first day, in March, to debate and decide. There was no need to reach this far". Meantime President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner cancelled this week's trip to Spain where she was scheduled to hold several high level political contacts with European Union leaders and share dinner with King Juan Carlos and the royal family, a rare privilege for a few. Apparently she was not willing to leave her seat to vice president Julio Cobos, president of the Senate, who has sided openly with farmers and is fully integrated to the group of dissidents drafting an alternative bill. Cobos does not have a vote in Senate, only when there's a tie.