ARGENTINA: KIRCHNER WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L BUENOS AIRES 002485 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/04/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL AR SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: KIRCHNER WITHDRAWS SUPPORT FOR CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM AND UNLIMITED REELECTION REF: BUENOS AIRES 02451 Classified By: CDA Michael Matera for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: At his request, General Coordinator of the Presidential Unit Juan Carlos Mazzon met with Charge on November 3, and opened the conversation with an admission that the Casa Rosada has been very quiet and alone in the wake of the results of the elections for the Constitutional Assembly in Misiones on October 29. Those most affected by the results in Misiones will be the other governors who were seeking extra-constitutional reelections, such as Felipe Sola in Buenos Aires province. Mazzon indicated that President Kirchner will no longer support these efforts, believing that the people have expressed their opposition to constitutional reform and indefinite reelections. According to Mazzon, at least one Governor, Eduardo Fellner of Jujuy province, announced on November 3 that he is abandoning his efforts to seek reelection through constitutional reform. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) At his request, General Coordinator of the Presidential Unit (and the chief electoral advisor to President Kirchner) Juan Carlos Mazzon met with Charge on November 3, and opened the conversation with an admission that the Casa Rosada has been very quiet and "alone" in the wake of the results of the elections for the Constitutional Assembly in Misiones on October 29 (REFTEL). Mazzon said that President Kirchner held a late night meeting on November 2 to discuss the results of the October 29 referendum in Misiones province. Mazzon said that President Kirchner will no longer support efforts to establish indefinite reelection, adding that Governor of Buenos Aires province Felipe Sola's attempts to use the courts to authorize his reelection will not be backed by the President. ¶3. (C) According to Mazzon, at least one Governor, Eduardo Fellner of Jujuy province, has already announced that he is abandoning his efforts to seek indefinite reelection through constitutional reform (reportedly announced in Jujuy this same afternoon). Just yesterday, Governor Fellner defended in the press his reform efforts and vowed to pursue them to the end. Tucuman Governor Jose Alperovich has been working to assure his possibility for reelection until 2015, but Mazzon said that Alperovich will now not push for anything beyond one reelection (2007-2011). ¶4. (C) Mazzon indicated that President Kirchner will no longer support these efforts, believing that the people have expressed their opposition to constitutional reform to allow indefinite reelections. Mazzon said the defeat in Misiones has been a real distraction for the Casa Rosada and that President Kirchner wants to move forward and put this behind him. Charge noted with interest what Mazzon said and reiterated that as always the Embassy takes no position and will not comment on internal Argentine politics. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: It is significant that Mazzon took the initiative to communicate President Kirchner's new policy on indefinite reelections so quickly after it had been decided. The President's complete public silence on the issue since the Sunday referendum has been interpreted by many as reflecting the great embarrassment to the GoA caused by this referendum defeat, after the President and a number of his Ministers took such an active role in promoting the constitutional reform effort. (SEE REFTEL) We have noted that President Kirchner's first public discourse since the defeat in Misiones was a harsh criticism on November 3 of Uruguay over the paper mill dispute, perhaps as an attempt to divert public and press attention away from the events in Misiones and the Casa Rosada's long silence on them. President Kirchner's reversal on supporting the provincial reelection movements could be an indicator that he believes he is vulnerable to reinvigorated coalitions of the opposition parties or non-Kirchnerista Peronists that have been so outspoken since October 29 on the significance of the referendum's defeat for President Kirchner's own popularity and support. END COMMENT. MATERA