MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Cristina Fernandez takes off with 42% vote intention and 25 points lead

The Argentine president with no serious competitor

Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has a 42% vote intention and in some districts of the country her support soars to 70%, according to consultants Public Opinion Studies, Centre, CEOP, released on Wednesday. Similarly Cristina Fernandez has at least a 25 points lead over her closest runner up.

The official announcement Tuesday evening that the Argentine president would be running for re-election next October 23 has unleashed a series of reactions regarding the future of Argentina with another four years of “Kirchnerism”.

Cristina Fernandez made the announcement at the right moment since she enjoys strong public opinion support fuelled by a booming economy and consumer spending while the opposition remains divided unable to come up with a candidate that could dispute her advantage.

Although there is no clear indication as to whom will be her running mate in the presidential ticket, among which figure Governor Jorge Capitanich; Carlos Zanini Executive Legal and Technical Secretary and Communications Secretary Juan Manuel Abal Medina, Bachman believes that “whoever it is, he won’t add or subtract much” given her popularity.

“We have a very strong Cristina and an opposition that still is looking around to find an opposition model or alternative governance model, which if they can’t agree or find one means Cristina has 48% and her runner up, 13%”, said Bachman.

The other presidential candidates include Social democrat Ricardo Alfonsin, son of former president Raul Alfonsin with 13.3%; Socialist Hermes Binner with 11.2%; former caretaker president Eduardo Duhalde, 9.1% and Rodriguez Saa, 7.3%. The blank or annulled vote figures with 2.6% and those who did not answer, 10.6%.

Under Argentine electoral law the presidential winning candidate in the first round needs 40% of ballots plus ten-point difference over the runner up. If not there is a run-off.