MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine former president Duhalde confirms his bid for the presidency in 2011

Argentina in a “decadence slide”, overtaken by its neighbours, warns the experienced politician

Argentine former caretaker President Eduardo Luis Duhalde assured Monday that he will run for president in the 2011 elections even if Senator Carlos Reutemann, tipped as one of the favourites, decides to do the same.

Duhalde considered that “the more we are running for president, the better”, and added “no one who decides to run for president should be criticized” and insisted that the Argentine political system must learn to campaign without offending or insulting, “let’s give politics the honourable place it deserves”.

Duhalde's statement comes after his wife -Senator Hilda Beatriz Duhalde- was quoted back in December saying that her husband would quit on his presidential ambitions in case Senator Reutemann decided to step forward.

The also former Buenos Aires province governor and Vice president with Carlos Menem, softened the dispute for the presidential seat praising potential candidates and rivals like Reutemann and Vice President Julio Cleto Cobos, “I still consider Reutemann a good person, same with Cobos.”

In a clearly conciliatory spirit Duhalde remarked that “Those who may campaign for president must do it without criticizing their political rivals; there is no possible growth by insulting others.”

But on the other hand Duhalde renewed his critics to Argentina’s current president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and her husband, former president Nestor Kirchner saying that “they are the last standing sectarian government; I'm sure future administrations will govern for the entire people of Argentina.”

“We need to consolidate a serious Project, like Lula da Silva's Brazil does”, and added, “with this country's potentiality, I have no doubts that we can be at almost Brazil's level.”

Argentina unfortunately is in a “decadent slide” and we are been overtaken by neighbouring countries, “they are all growing, expanding; we must learn to appreciate ourselves, reconciliation and stop hatred”, continued Duhalde.

The former caretaker president who opened the way for the Kirchner couple in 2003 last week said he was confident he could beat hopeful Nestor Kirchner in the province of Buenos Aires and dispute the party’s candidacy. Duhalde said he could count on the support from the mayors of metropolitan Buenos Aires that “have to survive the extortion policy imposed by the Kirchners (no political support, no federal funds)”.

“Madame President, call for a national dialogue. We can’t go on like this, we are at war with the church and the camp”, concluded Duhalde.