BUENOS AIRES (AFP) — The first woman to be elected president of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner was sworn in on Monday, taking over the South American nation's top job from her husband.

Kirchner, 54, who is often compared to New York Senator Hillary Clinton, was sworn in before the two chambers of Congress in the presence of 160 foreign delegations.

Chants of "Viva Cristina" erupted from the public gallery after outgoing President Nestor Kirchner handed over the presidential staff to his wife.

A first in Argentina, the transfer of power from husband to wife symbolized the political continuity the new president has vowed to follow.

The first-lady-turned-president made it clear her husband would not fade into the political background. "For me and for all Argentines, he will also continue being president," she said.

"We have been a couple for 32 years. We have had a lot of experiences together. But she is the one who has to make the decisions ... it would be a big mistake if I interfered," Nestor Kirchner told local television.

Nestor Kirchner, who remained popular throughout his presidency, has not explained why he stepped aside for his wife instead of seeking another four-year term.

With the notable exception of the economy minister, the new president will keep most of her husband's cabinet. She also stressed her determination to maintain high growth rates, rejecting calls to let the economy slow down in order to slash inflation.

"Every time that has been said, Argentina ended up in recession," she said, stressing that "Chinese-style" growth, which since 2003 has been close to nine percent, has made it possible to reduce poverty in the wake of the disastrous 2002 crisis.

Experts warn that the prosperity that came about during Nestor Kirchner's government is weakened by high inflation rates. The government says inflation is at 10 percent, but a number of economists insist the figure is above 15 percent.

On Tuesday, the new president will hold talks with International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who attended her swearing-in.

Argentina last year paid back its entire IMF debt of almost nine billion dollars. Kirchner now hopes to sort out the country's debt with the Paris Club of creditors. Argentina stopped payments on that debt in 2002.

The new president will also face a major challenge in battling endemic crime, which polls show is Argentines' main concern.

Cristina Kirchner began her political career as a provincial deputy in 1989, and later went on to become a national legislator, gaining notoriety for her vocal battles with then-president Carlos Menem.

In 2005, she became a senator for the province of Buenos Aires, home to 40 percent of Argentina's electorate. Her left-of-center politics, like those of her husband, are described as Peronist, a vaguely defined political philosophy named after former president Juan Domingo Peron.

An admirer of US presidential hopeful and former first lady Hillary Clinton, the glamorous "Cristina" is the first woman ever elected to lead Argentina.

The first couple insisted she alone will make the decisions.

This article from: AFP