MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cristina Fernandez will veto constitutional reform even from her militant lawmakers

Senator ‘trouble-shooter’ reiterated the president’s pledge

Argentine President Cristina Fernández is not turning back on her word and even if Kirchnerite lawmakers propose and agree on a constitutional reform, she would certainly veto it, said Senator Aníbal Fernández.

The comment from the president’s ‘trouble-shooter’ Senator follows recent statements from Cristina Fernandez pledging she will not push for such a project that would allow her to seek re-re-election in 2015 as many of her most militant followers would like to see.

“Suppose we all go crazy and we manage to clear (the bill to reform the constitution); the President will veto such a thing,” Senator Fernández stressed as he told reporters at a local radio station that “there is no turning back for the President’s word.”

“To make a real and profound judicial reform the National Constitution should be reformed. But I will not propose any constitutional reform. That is why I submitted six projects to Congress”, the head of state said at the La Matanza State University on Tuesday referring to the six-bill package to “democratize” Argentina's judiciary system.

Political analysts and members of the opposition fear that Cristina Fernandez could be planning a second consecutive re-election in 2015 and for which she would need to amend the constitution which only contemplates two four year periods.

For the plan to go ahead Cristina Fernandez would have to negotiate with the Argentine congress a special majority in both houses, hard to visualize currently or even after the coming October mid-term elections when half the Lower House and a third of Senators is to be renewed.