Former governor of Buenos Aires province Daniel Scioli was among a handful of national political leaders who met Interior Minister Rogelio Frigerio on Wednesday at Government House in Buenos Aires for informal talks about a national "consensus" regarding the country's future.
The Mauricio Macri government is pushing a cross-party agenda of 10 "basic points" facing Argentina's society and economy to be debated among all levels of government, opposition parties, unions, the Church and civil society groups.
So far, the invitation has received little response with negotiations over a "round table" meet still apparently in their early stages. The government has even invited former president-cum-senator Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, though she is likely to participate according to statements of rejection from high-ranking members of her Unidad Ciudadana movement.
Scioli said he met Frigerio to discuss ways to address the "attack on pensioners" and the "agony of small and medium-business owners" in the face of Argentina's ongoing recession, he told Canal 9.
"It's about opening a discussion and, on my part, I have always been consistent with my positions", Scioli, a presidential hopeful among the many Peronist contenders for Macri's job, added.
Frigerio also met with the governors of Chaco province Domingo Peppo and Entre Ríos province Gustavo Bordet.
"Today, more than even, our country needs to send this signal to the world", the minister told La Red radio in reference to the government's attempts to secure consensus.
The government hopes the "round table", and even any debate about the possibility of the round table coming to fruition, will favour their attempts to show stability and predictability in the midst of the country's economic crisis.
"We believe there is an overarching maturity among the entire political class, the (government's) coalition and the opposition, to sit down to find agreement and basic consensus. We're not talking about sharing an electoral platform or an ideological agenda", he insisted.
SCIOLI CANDIDACY
Scioli said his presence at the meeting was part of his attempts to be "an anti-polarisation candidate who seeks equality, the recovery of salaries and pensions, and the development of an agenda for industry".
Argentina "needs to leave this level of intolerance and violence in the past", he urged.
"The invitation was made to a broad spectrum of political leaders", he explained.
"Each one will decide how they can help. Some will be indifferent but I want to commit because I'm absolutely convinced this is the path forward".
-PERFIL/TIMES
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