(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
[Argentina] When Argentina's first lady in the last four years is likely to win the sixth presidential election after democracy was reintroduced in 1983, she assumes the presidency of the man she has been married to in 32 years. At the same time, Cristina, with whom the Argentines are on first name, becomes the first elected female president in the country. All polls predict a beating victory for Frente la Victoria's first candidate. If the polls are a goal, Mrs. Kirchner seems to be making a clean table in the first round.
The opposition is feverishly trying to show that the polls are funded by the authorities, part of a dirty "Kirchnerismo" game, to create the impression that the election has already been decided. There are few analysts who buy the rhetoric. Most people will probably vote for political continuity that provides stability in the economy. Colorful and Shopping Cristina has the largest election campaign budget of all candidates. One of the biggest sponsors is the sitting authorities. Cristina has received criticism for being more concerned about acquiring prominent political allies in countries such as Brazil, France, Ecuador and the United States, than being concerned with domestic issues.
Cristina has launched a new book with her visions for Argentina, but the celebrity status does not help the book sales, Ignacio Narin can tell Ny Tid. Narin works in the bookstore El Gran Ateneo on busy Avenida Santa Fé, the largest bookstore in Latin America. The seller can tell about low interest in recent domestic political literature.
- There is too little conflict in Argentine politics during the day.
Avisa La Nación supports the book seller's low sales figures through an article showing that seven out of ten residents are interested "little" or "not at all" for the election campaign. Especially in young people and those with low education, political apathy is alarming. Much indicates that voter turnout will be lower than in the previous elections in 2003, when 78 percent of voters used their voting rights.
The Argentine election campaign has largely been centered on inflation, escalating crime and energy crises. The government statistics agency INDEC is mentioned very often. From this agency come the official inflation figures, figures that are of great importance for the state of the Argentine economy, and which the opposition accuses the sitting Kirchner government of shaming.
In January, the head of the department was fired because Kirchner's chief of staff disagreed with the figures, despite the department using internationally approved methods. A more pro-government leader claimed that inflation should fall to around nine per cent, which was a good fit in the election year 2007. Private statistical agencies have calculated that inflation for 2007 will probably be between 15 and 20 per cent. Cristina herself talks as little as possible about inflation.
The couple runs a country that for the past four years has experienced an annual growth in the economy of about eight percent, after the collapse of the economy towards the end of 2001. Argentina has also to a far greater extent than before made legal settlements with human rights criminals from the military dictatorship.
The mighty Kirchner family is ready for four new years. But this time, Cristina is not content with being a political adviser and first lady. It will be the husband's new job.
Vegetable boycott
In Argentina, rising food prices are the issue that concerns most voters.
[food] When food prices so far this year have risen by 22,5 per cent, more than twice as much as inflation on other consumer goods, one can understand that. In the second week of October, consumers, greengrocers and supermarket chains gathered for a joint boycott of tomatoes. By then, the price per kilo of the popular vegetable had approached an absurd 30 kroner per kilo in retail price. This corresponds to well over one percent of an Argentine monthly salary, and almost twice as much as a kilo of clean-cut beef. The boycott was started because INDEC's inflation figures claimed that there was no basis for demanding more than around eight kroner per kilo.The five-day boycott was successful, and the price for consumers was reduced to one third. In the last week of the election campaign, they have again followed up with a boycott of potatoes and peppers. Potatoes have a kilo price in line with Norway, while according to the Argentine authorities' inflation figures it costs a quarter of what they do now. The boycott ends according to plan after Ny Tid goes to press. According to the leader of the Centro de Educación al Consumidor (CEC), Susana Andrada, they are considering whether to take action against carrots and pumpkins in the near future.
