January 8, 2003 [LINK]

Argentina party split

As feared, the feud between current president Duhalde vs. former president Menem -- rivals within the Peronista party -- heated up in late December, and no one knows when the party will choose its candidate, much less who that person will be. President Duhalde denied rumors that special presidential elections scheduled for April 27 might be delayed, warning that doing so would make the country look ridiculous. A fierce struggle continues within the Peronista party, as former president Carlos Menem seeks to make a political comeback, against Duhalde and others. Menem is widely blamed for corruption that undermined his economic liberalization program, setting the stage for the economic crisis that exploded in 2001. Duhalde says he will NOT be a candidate for the presidency, and will step down on May 25.