Argentine president reshuffles cabinet after election rout

Jul 8, 2009, 8:44 GMT

   Buenos Aires - Argentine President Cristina Kirchner reshuffled her cabinet nine days after her party suffered major losses in congressional elections, ushering in a new cabinet chief and economy minister.

   The Argentine media, however, said Tuesday's shake-up was more like a game of musical chairs among the most powerful politicians in the government as the opposition criticized it as 'plastic surgery' that would result in no changes to government policy.

   Kirchner's FJPV Peronist Front for Victory party lost its majority in both chambers of Congress in the June 28 elections. The next day, the president described a cabinet shuffle as unnecessary.

   A week later, however, she announced changes in the top positions in her government.

   Respected Cabinet Chief Sergio Massa is out and being replaced by Justice Minister Anibal Fernandez while the Economy Ministry is to be headed by Amado Boudou, the head of the social security agency, Anses, as Carlos Fernandez was replaced.

   However, Kirchner's husband, former president Nestor Kirchner, is to play an important role in determining Argentina's economic policy, which would lessen that of the Economy Ministry.

   Anibal Fernandez's current office is being taken over by Julio Alak, president of the board of directors for the airline Aerolineas Argentina.

   Alak's current job is to go to the lawyer Mariano Recalde, who is close to the powerful union chief Hugo Moyano, while Anibal Fernandez is seen as a particularly close acolyte of Cristina Kirchner.

   The secretary of culture is to be Congressman Jorge Coscia, former head of the national film institute.