MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina's main opposition force will attempt unity with party elections on May 8

“It’s important that the people don’t resign themselves to a lower quality of life,” said former Victory Front (FpV) presidential candidate Daniel Scioli

Argentina's main political force, Peronism, under the Justicialista party banner, announced that the party's elections will be held on 8 May, while the members of the electoral board set to oversee the election would be chosen during a meeting in Buenos Aires on February 24.

 The party's National Council, still reeling from last year's defeat to President Mauricio Macri's conservative “Let's change” movement, and recent splits which this week pruned the “Victory Front” majority of former president Cristina Fernandez to second place, were only able to agree on the coming elections.

The rest of the conclave was marked by tension and uncomfortable moments, a circus of disagreements and miscellaneous positions expressed hours after a group of Kirchnerite lawmakers decided to break away into a separate caucus, the “Justicialista block” in the Lower House of Congress.

“It’s important that the people don’t resign themselves to a lower quality of life,” said former Victory Front (FpV) presidential candidate Daniel Scioli, who called on to “defend workers” following the first economic measures adopted by the Let’s Change administration.

“It’s our responsibility to defend the 49% of Argentines that voted for us (in the November 22 runoff),” he added.

The Justicialista block responds to different provincial governors who have delicate financial situations and don't want to clash with president Macri (and the Treasury), and thus instructed their representatives in the federal congress to have a 'constructive, positive attitude'.

This constrasts with the call for an open opposition and even confrontation if necessary, from the ultra-K lawmakers, faithful to Cristina Fernánedez. However this attitude was also dismissed by a broad sector of Peronist senators headed by Miguel Angel Pichetto.

“We need to think about the people who will have a responsibility in next year’s elections. Some people here believe we’re in a pre-revolutionary stage,” Pichetto said.