Argentina gets 6th president in 18 months

Straits Times ^

[DeaconBenjamin]

BUENOS AIRES -- Nestor Kirchner took office on Sunday as Argentina's first elected president since the economy unravelled 18 months ago, pledging to protect jobs and industry to overcome the country's worst financial crisis in a century.

A centre-left politician from a remote province in Patagonia, Mr Kirchner was sworn in as the country's 52nd president. Addressing a packed congressional chamber, he said he hoped his four-year term would signal a fresh start for the financially depressed country.

'We are leaving the past behind,' he told lawmakers and 12 Latin American leaders including Cuba's Fidel Castro and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. 'Today we have a new opportunity ... and change is the name of the future.'

His inauguration was loudly applauded by Dr Castro, Mr Chavez and Brazil's first elected leftist, Mr Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, all of whom have led an ideological shift to the left in a region where free market economic reforms have failed to curb widespread poverty.

Mr Kirchner enters office with the weakest mandate in Argentine history after winning the election by default when former President Carlos Menem dropped out of a runoff race earlier this month. The 53-year-old president garnered 22 per cent of the vote in a late April ballot.

Sunday's inauguration was seen as a new beginning for a country struggling to steady itself from five years of recession, a US$141 billion debt default and deep currency devaluation.

[DeaconBenjamin]

So what shall we name the Lula, Castro, Chavez, Kirchner axis?

[Sonny M]

His inauguration was loudly applauded by Dr Castro

What the hell is this crap, doctor of what? His nickname should be doctor death, this is infuriating.

[Blackyce]

We can just keep calling them Latin America. Its par for the course. Resource rich, well educated, voluntary, third world countries.

[nothingnew]

...he said he hoped his four-year term...

BWAHAHAHA!...not likely.

FMCDH

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[UpNAtEm]

'We are leaving the past behind,'

I'm SURE that he's including Castro as part of the "past".

[liberalnot]

he's a life-long government bureaucrat, like grey davis.

a hard move to the left. kirchner says that argentina has not the money to repay international loans.

people want more social services, they say.

but with people demanding more of the government, the government on the outs with international business, and no economy, what will he be able to do?

expect some meetings with chavez and castro to celebrate their stupidity.

[prophetic]

sounds like musical chairs to me :-)

[Cincinatus' Wife]

***His inauguration was loudly applauded by Dr Castro, Mr Chavez and Brazil's first elected leftist, Mr Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, all of whom have led an ideological shift to the left in a region where free market economic reforms have failed to curb widespread poverty. ***

Hugo Chavez - Venezuela

Fidel Castro - Cuba

[Cacique]

ping

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Cuban President Fidel Castro (R) chats with new Argentine President Nestor Kirchner during a ceremony in the San Martin Palace, just a few hours after Kirchner was sworn in, in Buenos Aires, May 25, 2003. Kirchner took control of the country from the interim government of Eduardo Duhalde, to try and pull Argentina out of the worst depression in its modern history. REUTERS/Handout

Cuban President Fidel Castro (R) talks with new Argentine President Nestor Kirchner (C) and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, during a ceremony at the San Martin Palace just a few hours after Kirchner was sworn in, in Buenos Aires, May 25, 2003. Kirchner took control of the country from the interim government of Eduardo Duhalde, to try and pull Argentina out of the worst depression in its modern history. REUTERS/Handout

[Edmund Burke]

Perhaps they should just give up on self government and ask the King of Spain to retake the reins?

[PARodrig]

Yes, at least Aznar is a Bush supporter.