He is more than likely to make Roberto Lavagna, Mr Duhalde's economy minister, his finance minister.
Roberto Lavagna, the economy minister, recently declared that the country's four-year recession is over.
But the scandal prompted opposition candidate Roberto Lavagna and others to call for a full investigation.
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"No, I can honestly say, no, " responds Cristina Lavagna, a secondary school teacher and mother of two.
But having cast off the reliable Mr Lavagna, Argentina's president has embarked on a more uncertain course.
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That would be a good start, as Mr Lavagna has done much to repair Argentina's finances thus far.
As expected, Roberto Lavagna remains economy minister, but will also absorb the production ministry set up by Mr Duhalde.
But two multinationals have already delayed projects this year, says Mr Lavagna, for fear of an intra-Mercosur trade row.
Earlier this month, Mr Lavagna unveiled a proposed debt restructuring that would give bondholders around 33-36 cents on the dollar.
Mr Lavagna has indicated that he is ready to grasp that nettle.
Mr Lavagna's presence points to continuity in economic policy, even if some of Mr Kirchner's recent statements have rattled the financial markets.
Others, says Philippe Lavagna, at Specialty Metals in Brussels, were more unusual.
His trump card was to announce that he would retain Roberto Lavagna, Mr Duhalde's economy minister, who last year hauled the economy back from the brink of hyperinflation.
Mr Lavagna criticises Mr Kirchner's swerve away from free-market policies.
Mr Kirchner's likely opponent in the election is the man who can claim the greatest credit for the recovery: Roberto Lavagna, whom the president sacked as economy minister late in 2005.
Roberto Lavagna, a leading Argentine economist, backs this point.
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