MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cristina Fernandez re-election back on the political agenda ahead of the mid term October election

Cristina Fernandez fascinated with the Viet Cong tunnels

The possibility of a re-re-election of Argentine president Cristina Fernandez is back in the political agenda, this time spurred by a member of the Lower House with close contacts with trade unions and father of the General Manager of the now re-nationalized Argentine flag carrier Aerolineas Argentinas

“A constitutional amendment in the event of a re-re-election of Cristina Fernandez is possible”, said Hector Recalde, a labour law expert and former solicitor of Argentina’s powerful organized labour unions CGT. He added that he would support such an amendment if “the people so decide”.

“Some say the argument is unconstitutional. Obviously the constitution does not allow the re-re-election of the president. What matters is for the people to decide when the time comes and that the president effectively accepts. I personally would vote in favour for a thousand reasons but above all because the people want to, the constitution will then be more fair because the people have so decided”, said Recalde

Likewise lawmaker Recalde called for the strengthening and expansion of the current economic model with its inclusion policy and recovery of the workers rights, ahead of the coming mid term elections later this year.

If the October mid-term elections confirm support for Cristina Fernandez and her policies the re-re-election issue will have “to be discussed ahead of the 2015 presidential round”.

Recalde also talked about the beginning of the round of salaries negotiations between employers and the workers and denied “any cap” on unions’ demands. “It is not true that (Labour minister Carlos) Tomada has set a cap to salary negotiations”, he said and at the same time admitted he “was unaware” of the real inflation index, crucial for any negotiations.

The lawmaker also anticipated that the government would raise the floor for salaries income tax sometime before the first quarter is over, an issue which is uniting the divided Argentine organized labour movement.

Recalde then called on his fellow lawmakers to support a project geared to tax “financial sector profits” and the salaries of the Justices and judges, plus increasing levies on the mining industry and the gambling industry, so that the lifting of the tax floor “does not represent a burden for the treasury and helps to keep financing government plans”.

“I am promoting a bill to modify fiscal policy because if you raise the minimum bracket for income tax, which I’m convinced it must be done and will take place some time in the first quarter you will have a serious de-financing of the State”, underlined Recalde.

Somehow confirming Recalde’s statement, opposition lawmaker Francisco De Narvaez said he is convinced that ‘Kirchnerism’ will push for a constitutional amendment to open the way for a second re-election of Cristina Fernandez in 2015.

“The debate on the constitutional amendment will be very strong and will divide the political leadership this year as we move towards October’s midterm election”, anticipated De Narvaez.

He added that the government will insist with the constitutional reform and a possible re-re-election of Cristina Fernandez “and not modifying the constitution will be the great divide for the opposition also”.

“We need to address pressing issues for public opinion such as insecurity and inflation. The opposition’s challenge will be to face this authoritarian attitude of government, I must admit quite successful in sowing fear and hatred two very negative conditions for the future of this country or any country”, insisted De Narvaez.

Finally the opposition lawmaker attacked Cristina Fernandez currently visiting Vietnam.

“Cristina by the pictures seems fascinated with the Viet Cong tunnels, something that happened forty years ago, but what really fascinates me is how fast Vietnam has recovered from the war and learnt to become an export power is the Far East with plans to become a regional reference in trade and technology and they are accomplishing it”.