JULY 4, 2002

Reutemann in the running

EDUARDO DUHALDE, the president of Argentina has announced that the country will have presidential elections in March next year. Duhalde has been running the country since January but has been unsuccessful in getting support from the international community. The favorite for the job now is former F1 driver Carlos Reutemann, who is seen by foreign backers as a corruption-buster and man who can be trusted. He is also popular at home in Argentina. The only big issue is whether 72-year-old Carlos Menem will stand again, which might have the effect of splitting the Peronist vote.

Reutemann, who narrowly failed to win the World Championship in 1981, could make up for that disappointment by leading his country out of the economic mire in which it finds itself.