MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Mrs. Kirchner with increasing chances for October 2007

Pte. Kirchner and first lady Cristina Fernadez

Argentine president Nestor Kirchner will leave office next December 2007 to concentrate on building his political force while the First Lady and Senator, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is the leading candidate to succeed her, anticipated this week Congress member Carlos Kunkel from the ruling coalition

Looking ahead to the October general election in Argentina, Cristina Fernandez is "the best proposal" to head the presidential ticket of the ruling Front for Victory movement, despite the fact that President Kirchner is entitled to run for re-election, said Kunkel. "It's quite clear that our presidential candidate is going to be Cristina Kirchner and in the province of Buenos Aires, (the country's largest electoral constituency), vice president Daniel Scioli", underlined Kunkel who is a close associate of the Kirchner political family. However he warned that the government "is closely following public opinion", which means changes to the presidential ticket have not been discarded. "I believe that beginning December 10 (2007), President Kirchner will fully concentrate on the political restoration of Argentina. That's going to be his target, and he will count with strong political support". According to Kunkel when Kirchner leaves office "he will continue to lead the rest of Peronists and other groupings and sectors which have common positions with the current government's policies. Buenos Aires analysts admit growing possibilities that President Kirchner could finally give up his bid for a second mandate and fully concentrate on organizing his own centre left political force with strong grass-root support among Peronists. Apparently the moving force behind this strategy is to avoid the political erosion of a second consecutive mandate and the strengthening of the opposition. Since the constitutional reform dating back to 1994, Argentine presidents are entitled to four years in office with the possibility of an only consecutive re-election.