Argentina's first lady promises stronger democracy

BUENOS AIRES, Aug 2 (Reuters) Argentina's leading presidential candidate, first lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, is promising to strengthen the country's battered democracy but her husband's mixed legacy has raised doubts.

Fernandez, a prominent senator who has served 18 years in Congress, is favored to win the October 28 vote and take over from President Nestor Kirchner in December. She has been a key advisor throughout his term and is unlikely to push through major changes if she is elected.

Argentina has a history of military coups, and faith in the justice system is dismally low due to rampant corruption and inefficiency. Lawmakers are routinely accused of being in the pocket of business groups.

Fernandez, who has a clear lead in opinion polls, says she is part of an ongoing effort to change that history and she is running on the slogan: ''The change has just begun.'' ''That means we have managed to reinstate the value of institutions, and now what we need is deeper reform,'' Fernandez told CNN en Espanol in a rare interview yesterday night.

Center-left Kirchner is credited with managing Argentina's spectacular economic recovery after a 2001-02 crisis.

But critics say he and his wife, who have been a political couple since they were leftist student activists in the 1970s, have an authoritarian streak and that Fernandez offers nothing new.

''The government is presenting her through political marketing her as a change. But Cristina has participated in all the major decisions her husband has made... They share the same perspective on the economy and have the same world view,'' said Sergio Berensztein, an analyst at Poliarquia consulting group.

Kirchner spurred a widely praised purge of unpopular judges on the Supreme Court, but he was criticized for a so-called superpowers law that took away budgetary power from Congress and gave it to the executive.

He also increased executive influence in a judicial oversight body and has been accused of going after judges for political reasons.

The government was this year accused of meddling with the autonomous statistics institute when it produced undesirable inflation data.

SOFTER TONE As the bounding economy starts to cool, analysts say Fernandez may take a different tack, especially with the opposition and estranged business sectors.

''I think the government will strengthen institutions, but not out of virtue. They don't exactly love to dialogue or to improve things they didn't touch in the last four years.

They'll do it out of necessity,'' said Nicolas Ducote, director of CIPPEC, a public policy think tank.

''She'll have much bigger economic challenges and this will reduce government funds, which means they will have to be more open to dialogue.'' Although she has detailed very few policies since launching her campaign in mid-July, Fernandez is a glamorous dresser with an intense speaking style and is much more comfortable visiting other countries than the reticent Kirchner.

In recent years, she has made high profile trips around Latin America and to Europe, the United States and Israel.

Some analysts expect her to try to improve the distribution of wealth in Argentina and adopt a more active foreign policy.

Kirchner is highly popular for his handling of the economy as income from Argentina's big crops -- soy, corn and wheat -- has soared. Just five years after millions lost jobs and were plunged into poverty, car purchases have hit all-time highs.

The economic boom clearly helps the first lady's chances at the polls. Recent surveys of voters show her with support of between 44 per cent and 48 per cent, with her closest contender at 18 per cent.

REUTERS AK BST0115