MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Deafening NO in Misiones resounds in Buenos Aires

The northern Argentine province of Misiones extended Sunday a resounding NO to the aspirations of an “indefinite or perpetual” re-election sponsored by Governor Carlos Rovira a strong ally of President Nestor Kirchner.

The referendum to reform the provincial constitution which begun with claims from the opposition of government fraud and patronizing, ended in a similar way: with claims that the victory announcement of the United Front for Dignity was delayed on purpose for at least two hours.

It was only at 22:00 local time that the government of Rovira finally changed the score in the official electric panel having to admit defeat by at least ten points to the opposition under the leadership of Bishop Piña.

Earlier in the day Bishop Piña was announcing that the United Front for Dignity would take the day, "since the difference in our favor is too big and impossible to revert".

Speaking with the Buenos Aires press which massively covered the electoral event, Piña said that "the provincial government won't want to acknowledge defeat. They are delaying all information as mush as possible so it won't be published in Monday's newspapers".

But governor Rovira's defeat and its implications are just beginning to unfold which is far beyond the tropical, undeveloped Misiones. In Buenos Aires President Kirchner gave his full support to the constitutional reform including the involvement in the dispute of some of his closest aides such as cabinet chief Alberto Fernandez and Interior Minister Anibal Fernandez.