By Pablo Krause
Herald staff
Former President Néstor Kirchner resigned as chairman of the Peronist party yesterday after his defeat by dissident Peronist Deputy Francisco De Narváez in Buenos Aires province in a mid-term election seen as a referendum on the government of his wife, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, where the ruling party lost control of both houses of Congress.
The former President requested that Buenos Aires Governor Daniel Scioli take over the leadership of the party, and that both Scioli and Lieutenant-Governor Alberto Balestrini stay in office, resigning their seats in Congress, as both officials ran along with Kirchner as “testimonial candidates” in Sunday’s elections.
“I have presented my resignation from the national leadership of the Peronist party,” said Kirchner during a televised statement recorded at the presidential residence in Olivos yesterday.
“I also asked the governor to stay in office.. I requested my two lifelong partners, Alberto and Daniel, to reinforce the model and the changes, which are fundamental for the party,” said Kirchner.
Scioli said he will initiate a round of negotiations with Peronist governors and officials and claimed the debate on presidential candidacies for the 2011 elections should be postponed for the moment.
“I’m the Deputy Chairman (of the Peronist party) and I will take charge following the resignation (of Kirchner),” said Scioli, who confirmed he will stay on as Governor despite winning a seat in Congress.
“I feel this (the Buenos Aires government) is where I can make greater efforts along with my lieutenant-governor (Balestrini),” added Scioli.
“To start this transition, I will talk to each of my fellow-governors and all the (Peronist) leadership,” said the Buenos Aires Governor.
“There will be time to discuss personal projects in the future,” added Scioli, in a clear reference to the 2011 presidential elections.
However, De Narváez has already stated he has “no intention” of participating in the current Peronist party leadership (see box on this page).
Kirchner said he requested that Scioli stay in office as he considers “the residents of Buenos Aires province want him to stay as Governor” and recognized the outcome of the elections was unexpected for the government.
“He (Scioli) should take the lead of the Peronist party, with strong support from the party chairman in Buenos Aires province (Balestrini) who clinched a great victory in La Matanza (the biggest district in Greater Buenos Aires),” said Kirchner.
“The results are not as expected, we think it’s time to take measures and pay attention to the political results, which is why I am resigning the leadership of the party,” added the former President.
Along with other main ruling party officials, Balestrini tend to downplay Sunday’s defeat.
“This is just a mid-term election, where you can win or lose,” said the lieutenant-governor.
“This time we lost by a very small margin, but we are convinced that this is the project that will make the country progress,” added Balestrini.
Link: http://www.buenosairesherald.com/PrintedEdition/View/5211
