‘Rodríguez Saá is just the opposite to De la Rúa’

‘Rodríguez Saá is just the opposite to De la Rúa’
Interview to PJ Senator Jorge Yoma	Dec-27-01

What do the March 3 presidential elections in Argentina depend on?

They depend on abiding by the Constitution. I think there is a strong temptation to move out of the legal framework on the part of some political sectors both from the PJ and Radical party, which in view of the impossibility to present themselves to people’s consideration they are looking for the way to not comply with what the Legislative Assembly established which under the Constitution it established a current temporary administration to later call for elections. So I think the country will walk out of the crisis if we all stick to the law and as long as the government making the decisions be supported and within the legality granted by people’s votes. Nothing of this will take place if we make a shortcut to avoid that.

Jorge Yoma: 'The major opponents to the current
president are those who did formidable business
with the previous administration. Support will
come from the populist movement'.

Although many wished for anticipated elections, many also doubt about the ‘Lemas Act’ (double simultaneous representation) criticized for fragmenting the legitimacy of people’s vote…

The Legislative Assembly passed an urgency bill so that people can vote as soon as possible without previously holding primaries. If the normal procedure was established, we had to wait for six months for it was necessary to conduct the primaries before. So it was necessary to set a system of Lemas, which is not suitable for a permanent basis, but may be useful to address the country’s current situation. In that way the people in sixty days will chose from each party’s spectrum the candidate they like the most so that he is included in the government leadership as soon as possible.

What is President Rodríguz Saá’s strategy to walk the country out of the crisis?

I think the President has taken an important road that shows an active government dealing with the woes harassing Argentines, who for the past 2 years have been enduring an inexistent administration that took no decisions and the few it made were contrary to what people wanted. I think President Rodríguez Saá in a smart move matching his own style –dynamic and with outstanding governing skills- appears as bright side of the many grim years the country endured under the leadership of former Alliance and president De la Rúa. He is a man of proven governing skills, huge personal initiative and the decisions he is making are supported by the whole PJ. That is why I think the country will overcome this problems and the crisis gripping up.

What are the major obstacles Rogríguez Saá will have to confront? Who will be his major opponents and allies?

The major opponents to his government are tose who have been doing formidable business with the decisions made by the previous administration: financial sectors of the economy that did their business, monopolistic utility companies, sectors that benefited from economic decisions taken in the past two years and also –someone must say this- they did so during Menem’s last term. That is why I think they will be the strongest opponents. Support will come from the populist movement, the majorities of the Houses of Congress, all PJ provincial governorships and workers’ organizations, which comprises a broad base.

Do you think the current support granted by workers’ organizations will last? Because Argentines must learn many things now. For instance, to live with ‘argentines’ (the third currency).

We must basically shift from a non-consumption, adjustment culture to which we subjected under Menem’s last term and De la Rúa’s term toward a culture of popular economy, popular consumption and distribution. In that sense, we Argentines will have to learn something, understanding that the only way to generate economic activity, expansion and jobs is by halting recession and fueling the economy. Due to currency board it is not possible to increase the circulation of pesos or dollars existing in the market at the risk of devaluing, that is why we have adopted a third currency in an attempt to increase consumption without people having to undergo the danger of devaluation, seeing their salaries decrease. So I guess time will make us all more ‘accustomed’ to this, the economy will calm down and we will manage to change that culture which, I repeat, has taken us in the past years to non-consumption and the steep drop of economic activity.