"The mare will be back, she's already trotting," was how former Cabinet chief Aníbal Fernández, a key figure during the Cristina Fernández de Kirchner presidency, on Tuesday described the prospects of his former boss returning to power in December following the October elections.
Senator Fernández de Kirchner, who will today present her memoirs at the Buenos Aires Book Fair, often embraces the derogatory term used by her opponents to describe her "yegua" (literally meaning mare but more akin to "bitch").
"Personally, I am hoping for it [Fernández de Kirchner's return to power] and I stand by the belief that she will be a candidate because there is no time to lose," the former Cabinet chief told El Disparador programme on 90.3 FM, reflecting a sentiment among opponents of President Mauricio Macri that the current government's handling of the economy could cause further damage before the October general and presidential elections.
"Today, the country is asking Cristina to make a huge sacrifice to take charge of this disastrous situation," he suggested.
"I am in contact with her everyday," Fernández said of his former boss, without revealing any indication of his former boss' future plans.
Fernández de Kirchner will appear at the Rural Fair Grounds in Palermo from 8pm this evening where she will present her memoirs Sinceramente ("Sincerely"), published by Editorial Sudamericana.
Readers have been souring the newly released book for signs she’ll run again for the nation’s top job. But the senator’s first-person take on her political career and life dwells more on the past than the future, with a endless jabs at president Macri and her foes in the political and media worlds.
For his part, Aníbal Fernández had much to say about his vision for a future Fernández de Kirchner government, recommending his namesake Alberto Fernández for a key post.
"He is very clear-headed," Fernández said of Alberto Fernández, who also served a former Cabinet Chief under Fernández de Kirchner.
Aníbal Fernández suggested Alberto could take on the Cabinet Chief's position for a second time.
When it came to yet another former Cabinet Chief under Fernández de Kirchner, Sergio Massa, Fernández was less optimistic of a return to the Pink House.
"I don't see Sergio Massa joining. He's created his own space. He's not a comrade in our party structure", he added. "When we see one another, we speak about general issues. We have never broken our ties", he explained.
Fernández said he supported former Economy Minister Axel Kicillof, who ended the Kirchnerite era in that position, for the Governorship of Buenos Aires province.
"I am going to support him [Kicillof] wherever I can," Fernández, who has strong and often questioned ties in the power structures of the province, explained.
- TIMES/PERFIL
Comments