Déjà vu all over again

Sound familiar? The 1st Lady of a major American democracy is a Senator representing one of the largest metropolitan areas in her country. And now she's running for the Presidency following her husband's departure from that office.
No, we're not talking about that former 1st couple of the the United States.
Aides to Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina, confirmed yesterday that although he will not seek another term in the Oct. 28 election, his wife, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (left), Senator for the province including the capital city of Buenos Aires, will seek to succeed him.
Though a novelty in the United States, the phenomenon of household dynasty is not unknown elsewhere. This year's unsuccessful candidate for the French Presidency, Ségolène Royal, separated from her longtime partner, Socialist Party leader François Hollande, amid speculation that he wants to run in the next Présidentielle. The notion that a wife might take her husband's seat is not unfamiliar to South Americans, either:
►Following the death of President Juan Perón in 1974, his widow, Isabel Martinez de Perón, served a turbulent term as interim President of Argentina until she was deposed in a military coup in 1976.
►Following the death of President Cheddi Jagan, voters elected Janet Jagan President of Guyana in 1997; she resigned for health reasons 2 years later.
Indeed, Chile's President since 2006, Michelle Bachelet (right), a single mother, is the only woman to have been elected head of state in the region without marital link to a former President.