2023-08-13 12:22:37
“Today is a first step. Each political force is going to define who the candidates are. We have a good expectation for today,” said the Minister of Economy and pro-government candidate Sergio Massa following casting his vote in a school in the Buenos Aires town of Tigre . Argentines vote this Sunday (08.13.2023) in primary elections to define their candidates for the presidential elections in October, an uncertain process in which the polls have not yet revealed a favorite to succeed Alberto Fernandez.
Polling stations opened throughout Argentina at 08:00 (local time, 13:00 CET) so that some 35.4 million Argentines called to the polls can configure the electoral lists with their vote. The provisional scrutiny will begin tonight, but the final one, in charge of the electoral Justice and the only one with legal validity, will begin on Tuesday.
He President and Vice President will be elected next October 22 of the country, as well as 130 of the 257 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 24 of the 72 in the Senate. In addition, 43 Argentine representatives will be elected to the Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur). Today’s primaries, which will serve to define the candidacies, are mandatory for both political parties and voters between the ages of 18 and 70 and are the seventh that Argentina has held since the adoption of this system with the 2011 elections.
record number of applications
More than 85,000 military and security force personnel provide custody to the 108,107 polling stations distributed in 17,432 schools and other venues throughout the country, which will be open until 6:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. CET) for the electoral act. For these primaries, a record of 27 presidential formulas have been registered, in addition to 3,782 applicants for a seat of deputy and 386 for the Senate.
Patricia Bullrich, Sergio Massa, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta and Javier Milei. Image: AGUSTIN MARCARIAN/REUTERS
Beyond the validation of candidacies for October, this election constitutes a great “survey” on the political tendencies of the Argentine citizenry, who is going to the polls in the midst of a complex economic scenario and still shocked by the death of the young Morena Domínguez, by which campaign events were suspended. The result of the primary is played in four key districts, the most populated in the country: the provinces of Buenos Aires (37% of the national census), Córdoba (8.7%) and Santa Fe (8%) and the Argentine capital ( 7.2%).
Union for Patricia, Together for Change… and Milei
The official alliance Unión por la Patria (Peronism) ruled out even thinking regarding the re-election of Fernández, whose government has a rejection of more than 80%, and aligned itself with the Minister of Economy, Sergio Massa. A 51-year-old lawyer, he cultivates good relations with the various actors in power, be it businessmen, unions or the International Monetary Fund. In an almost testimonial way, Juan Grabois, a leader of social movements close to Pope Francis, challenges him.
“Let’s live a democratic day in peace. Let’s all vote. It is very important that everyone express themselves, that everyone vote. Beyond the frustrations that may exist, the disappointments, the way and the solution is voting. That is why I ask all Argentines who are going to vote,” said Rodríguez Larreta at a press conference as part of a breakfast with other candidates for various posts who support his presidential candidacy.
After years immersed in polarization, which they baptized “crack”, for Argentines this election will be the first without former presidents Cristina Kirchner or Mauricio Macri, tutelary figures of the ruling party and the opposition. as a novel phenomenon the libertarian and far-right Javier Milei appearsa 52-year-old economist who intends to establish himself as the third national force with an aggressive speech once morest what he calls the “political caste.”
lgc (afp/efe)
(Updated at 15:15 CET for the last time with the statements of Sergio Massa and Rodríguez Larreta)
Last-minute checks at a polling station in Buenos Aires. Image: MARIANA NEDELCU/REUTERS
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