MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Fraga: Cristina Kirchner chance to finally play her role as President

Only thirteen months before Mrs Kirchner steps down

The disappearance of Nestor Kirchner generates multiple uncertainties and signals for the first time in Argentine history that the absence of someone who is not the president can cause such a situation and so many questions, writes Rosendo Fraga, Argentine historian and political commentator.

Fraga says that with Kirchner institutions were subordinated to politics and his absence gives the political feeling that who is missing is the president, and the big question is how the vice-president will react.

It was evident that at all times Mr. Kirchner made sure it was clear who run the show and this was not his wife, President Cristina Kirchner, something which she never rejected or tried to question by creating her own political power space, not even symbolically.

Now for the first time Mrs Kirchner has the chance to exercise power and run the show, one year before presidential elections and thirteen months before she steps down.

According to Mr. Fraga she has the opportunity to modify, rectify, correct, change styles and attitudes imposed by her husband which led to the incredible situation: with the economy steaming ahead at 9%, only one in three approves of her administration.

There are some pending decisions which are been demanded by the political system such as taking distance from the powerful teamsters’ union boss Hugo Moyano and his influence, who also has insinuated presidential aspirations, following probably on the Brazilian experience

The fact is that the powerful, hegemonic Peronist movement never entirely swallowed Mr Kirchner and his political plans and alliance with left leaning groups. This led to division when the confrontation with farmers (2008); followed by defeat at the mid term elections (2009) and lately several Peronist potential leaders had begun questioning or challenging Mr Kirchner’s objectives and style and 2011 presidential aspiration.

Fraga suggests Mrs Kirchner could begin by sacking controversial officials such as Guillermo Moreno, the man who gun to the belt, tries to keep prices under control and when necessary impedes exports of staples infuriating local industry and farmers.
If Mrs Kirchner insists in keeping Moreno, she could run into serious political and governance problems suggests Fraga.

But Fraga admits that Mr. Kirchner undoubtedly is the Argentine political figure of the decade, as was former president Ricardo Alfonsin in the eighties and Carlos Menem in the nineties.

Nevertheless he leaves his wife a strong economy, but a government confronted with the most efficient sector of the Argentine production, farmers; in conflict with the manufacturing sector because of the profit sharing proposal; in strained relations with the Supreme Court; at odds with Congress, as shown by the latest veto; in conflict with the Catholic Church; tangled in war with the privately owned media and about to break relations with some of the outstanding figures of the Peronist movement.

Furthermore the latest political rallies showed that the arch of mayors that are crucial to ensure electoral victory with a margin in the most populated province, Buenos Aires and thus at national level, as well as some governors, were distancing themselves from Mr Kirchner (Mr Moyano) and his projects.

Fraga concludes arguing that institutions in Argentina are not at risk, governance probably if in the last leg of her government Mrs Kirchner does not take advantage of a historic opportunity: stop being the president of a political faction to become the president of all Argentines.