MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine provincial elections confirm support for President Cristina Fernandez

La Rioja governor-elect Luis Beder Herrera, “this victory belongs to the President”

“This victory belongs to the President (Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner)” said governor elect of the Argentine province of La Rioja, Luis Beder Herrera after he swept with 67% of ballots in Sunday’s election.

“I’m happy and surprised by the wide margin, I was expecting to reach something around 61% of the vote, and not such a wide margin” said Kirchnerite Beder Herrera who thanked President Cristina Fernandez for all the support provided and emphasizing that “this victory belongs to the President”.

With all votes accounted for, Beder Herrera and running mate Sergio Casas led with 67.20% of votes (108,275 votes), while Radical party candidate Julio Martínez took second place with 19.6% (31,582 votes); while fellow Kirchnerist Ángle Maza obtained 10,86% (17,504 votes).

Asked about the future of the President and her possible re-election candidacy, Beder Herrera showed no doubt and assured “Cristina is already out presidential candidate”, and added, “She’s done an excellent job. If we compare the current situation to that back in 2002, we have showed a tremendous improvement, we live in a different country now.”

Furthermore, the re-elected governor aimed to the opposition and stated “I still remember those who used to say that we (Kirchnerism) could not govern well. Now they should thank the President.”

Asked about the backing role of former president, Carlos Saúl Menem, who during Sunday’s vote confirmed his intentions to renew his post as Senator and showed his support to the governor and the national government, Beder Herrera said “He (Menem) is a very important person here in La Rioja, and people really appreciate him. So, I’m sure that if he runs for Senator, he’ll do it through his own party,” thus discarding a possible alliance with the ruling-party.

Beder Herrera was vice-governor during three consecutive terms and took office as governor in 2007 after Angel Maza was impeached. An estimated 228,000 voters in the province of La Rioja voted in Sunday's elections.

Meanwhile in Patagonia a long election process came to an end with a complementary ballot that confirmed Martin Buzzi as governor of Chubut but will have to rule with a Kirchnerite majority in the provincial legislature.

“I am sure the Kirchnerite majority will not interfere with my administration once I take office next December 10”, said Buzzi who left a door open for an eventual approach to the provincial Victory Front party and the Fernández de Kirchner administration.

“We have to build the necessary consensus in order to be able to govern Chubut. We’re facing a new era, different from the one we were living in,” the governor-elect said.

Buzzi remarked that “after all, being able to provide people with peace of mind is what matters the most”. He added that “please know that we’re going to sit down and talk to the Kirchnerites, this is the kind of gesture that people are waiting for”.

Regarding his future relationship with the national government, Buzzi said that he hopes to maintain “a mature, institutional relationship”.