MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Cristina Fernandez just manages to obtain the most votes in Buenos Aires Province Senate primary
The ex president running for a Senate seat next October obtained 3.229.194 (34.27%) votes of the 9.5 million cast in the province of Buenos Aires. 
Graciela Ocaña sponsored by Macri for the Lower House received 3.240.499 votes, the candidate most supported at the 13 August primary Argentina ex-president Cristina Fernandez group “Citizens' Unity” obtained a significant 34.27% of votes cast in the August 13 PASO primary (open, simultaneous and mandatory) in the province of Buenos Aires to choose Senate candidates for the October 22 midterm election, according to the definitive vote count.
Buenos Aires province is crucial not only because it holds 35% of Argentina's electorate, but also because of its political impact and thus the primary was seen as a dispute, almost a referendum, between Cristina Fernandez and Kirchnerism populist policies, and the current orthodox business friendly focus of president Mauricio Macri, which still has to deliver what it promised, and has cost jobs in the manufacturing belt surrounding the City of Buenos Aires.
Macri´s “Let's Change” coalition emerged in the August primary as the overall leading force in Argentina, and despite opinion polls indicating “a vote for the populist past” mostly in the highly politicalized, (and corrupt) province of Buenos Aires, its Senate candidates were defeated by only a “handful of votes”, 20.324, out of a total turnout of 9.5 million votes cast: 3.229.194 (34.27%) against 3.208.870 (34.06%).
The long delayed announcement of the very tight dispute, could represent a temporary boost for Cristina Fernandez, who faces several corruption and treason cases, but at the end of the day it was far from the four to five points difference she was expecting to consolidate her political comeback ambition.
It has yet to be seen what consequences Cristina Fernandez tour of courts in the weeks leading to 22 October will have on her followers and loyal militants, but president Macri and the popular governor of Buenos Aires province, Maria Eugenia Vidal seem to have managed to consolidate a stronghold in Argentina's main electoral circuit, with strong possibilities of ensuring the Senate seats for ex Education minister Esteban Bullrich and Gladys Gonzalez.
The other hopefuls, Massa/Stolbizer managed 15.41% of the vote; ex Transport minister Florencio Randazzo, 5.94% and the extreme left and greens, 3.37%.
But Cristina Fernandez mild success in the Senate race, was quite different at the Lower House primary: her hopeful, economist Fernanda Vallejos managed two percentage points less than Macri's sponsored candidate Graciela Ocaña. In effect Ms Ocaña collected 3.240.499 votes (34.07%), while the Citizens Unity Ms Vallejos, 3.054.886 (32.12%).
Furthermore, Ms Ocaña actually had (11.000) more votes than Cristina Fernandez, 3.240.499 against 3.229.194. Finally the total number of votes cast was 9.510.311, including 87.720 null ballots (0.92%) and 346.216 blank, (3.67%).
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Read all comments“The deal with Iran seems much closer to the definition, but has she actually been charged with anything?”
Aug 31st, 2017 - 05:13 pm +3Ignore Kamerad/Komrade Rique's lame attempt to deflect away from the real issue. If you'll recall, she had the prosecutor assassinated the night before he was to present the indictment against her over the collusion with Iran...
http://www.thebubble.com/cristina-implicated-in-leaked-audio-clips-bad-mouthing-massa-stolbizer/
Note that she and her intelligence chief both agree that Nisman's assassination is the most serious thing facing them...and she has never been charged. Hardly the words of innocent individuals.
@Reekie
Aug 31st, 2017 - 09:13 pm +3“With little recourses, her own new organization and most of the dominant media constantly spreading rumours and fabrications,...”
Presume you mean “resources”....something I doubt she has 'little' of, after all the millions she stole.....what she does have little of, if any at all, is honesty and decency... But according to you, it's all fabrications by the press....just like her 'pal' Lula...the most honest man Brazil has ever known. All the same crap.
But keep on supporting her, seems you want Argentina to sink further. As long as she's around, her followers will keep on sabotaging any attempt to get the country back on track.
@Reekie
Sep 01st, 2017 - 07:21 pm +3Esteemed EM, please note anger hasn't got any part of me, far less the best. The election results have nothing to do with CFK having stolen millions.....how do you think she and her cross-eyed hubbie became rich ? it wasn't because they were nice, honest people, but because they took advantage of nice, honest and unlucky people.
Regarding Nisman's death, it was under extremely suspicious conditions, and the only person who had any interest in silencing him was CFK...and wouldn't put it above CFK, as president, to obstruct the investigation from behind the scenes and have evidence destroyed ....so while it seems that now no-one can prove she's guilty, neither can she prove she's innocent...and luckily for her, she doesn't have to.
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