Argentinean leader denies constitutional reform plan

Argentinean President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner on Tuesday brushed off speculation that she was planning to change the Constitution to allow her to indefinitely run for reelection.

"Has anyone heard me say that I am going to run for reelection in 2011?" she asked ironically at the opening session of Congress. "Don't be so sure of yourselves."

Last week, a group of lawmakers and supporters fueled press speculation that Fernández de Kirchner wanted to change the country's Constitution to allow her to run beyond a second term if she wins reelection in October.

Several newspapers reported that the president was going to ask Congress to draft an enabling bill during her address before lawmakers at the start of a new session. "Whose idea was it to reform the Constitution?" she asked.

At press time the president had not yet confirmed that she will run this year. Her Peronist Party suffered a severe setback when her husband, the former President Néstor Kirchner, died suddenly last year. It was widely believed that he was planning to run for what would have been his second term. While her supporters say that the party's internal polls show that De Kirchner could easily win, other polls say she would only garner 27 percent against her likely rival, Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri.