MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Conciliatory first speech from elected president Mrs Kirchner

Elected President until 2011 Cristina Fernadez de Kirchner and her Vice Presidential running mate, Julio Cobos

Argentina's First Lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has become the first elected woman president of the country in what seems a landslide victory and with no need for a run off, according to exit polls and the first official results.

At 22:00 local time and with 17% of votes counted, Mrs. Kirchner leads with a comfortable 44%, almost doubling her runner up, which according to Argentine electoral legislation avoids the run off. However this minimum percentage of votes is insufficient to determine whether her runner up is leftwing candidate Elisa Carrió or the former Economy minister Roberto Lavagna. Vote counting promises to be painfully slow because of all the options offered to Argentine voters, late opening of some voting places and claims of irregularities such as missing ballots in some booths. In her brief victory speech, incoming president Mrs Kirchner called on Argentines, those who voted for her and those who didn't, to join her in continuing to rebuild Argentine institutions, economy and politics. She praised her husband's achievements, President Nestor Kirchner, who was voted in May 2003 with minimum political support and a defaulted treasury but leaves an economy which has been growing at an average 8.5% for the last four years running and which has been the backbone of the support for the Kirchner administration. The conciliatory tone of the message signals a clear change from the whole sweeping attitude of the Cristina-president operation organized by her husband President Kirchner and cabinet, appealing to all the resources of the administration. This operation and taking control of the Peronist political machinery with generous handouts was vital in conquering the province of Buenos Aires which represents 40% of the Argentine electorate and is the decisive chip in any Argentine election. Vice president Daniel Scioli running for governor of the province of Buenos Aires has been elected by over 45% of the vote more than doubling his main challenger. Nevertheless early vote counts are indicating the elected president did not receive the same support from some of Argentina's main urban centers such as Buenos Aires City, Rosario and Cordoba, (where she lost) and some important provinces. But what is indisputable is that the booming Argentine economy and prospects of continuing growth have convinced the Argentine electorate with still fresh memories of the 2001/02 crisis and the melting of the economy, not to rock the boat in spite of mounting challenges such as inflation, insecurity, and corruption. What needs to be seen when all votes are counted is how the new Congress will be made up. Half the Lower House and a third of the Senate seats were in dispute and although the Kirchner administration will manage to retain its majority in the Upper House, there could be surprises in Deputies. (*) For update result see: www.resultados2007.gov.ar