MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Macri's junior partner confirms the 2015 successful coalition

The Radicales UCR confirmed after a long at times critical debate their intention to remain in the ruling coalition Cambiemos

The junior partner of the Argentine ruling coalition, the center-left Radical party, UCR, at its national convention, and after much debate finally agreed to remain as a junior member of, “Cambiemos”(Let's Change), headed by president Mauricio Macri.

However despite agreeing to remain in the coalition, the Radicales, UCR, demanded the construction of a wider political front. ”We proudly ratify what was achieved in 2015 (defeating the Peronist movement), but also humbly acknowledge that we did not reach out to many sectors of society. We committed mistakes, grave mistakes, and we are paying dearly for that“, warned the president of UCR, Alfredo Cornejo in his closing speech to the convention previous to the final vote.

Despite the calls for rupture, and stepping down from the Macri alliance and its economic problems, Cornejo insisted, ”we must ratify Cambiemos but building a broader political front”. The convention had to overcome the questioning of the UCR branch in the province of Buenos Aires, but finally an understanding was reached ratifying that the Radicales will remain in the Cambiemos coalition.

The confirmation of the Cambiemos coalition is good news for President Macri and his reelection bid, particularly since ex president Cristina Fernandez teamed up with a former cabinet chief, Alberto Fernandez, considered a moderate Peronista, who dialogues with all other political forces and even met with members of the financial system: banks, funds, investors, IMF, pledging that if elected next October, his government would respect and honor all international loans and debts.

The latest opinion polls show that the Argentine electorate is divided in thirds, one supporting the Fernandez/Fernandez ticket, another which wants Macri's reelection, and a third independent who find it very hard to vote for either of the main hopefuls. Besides the Peronist movement remains divided and it's not clear yet if the Fernandez/Fernandez ticket will manage to unify them.

The Lady is running as vice-president but she chose the presidential candidate, surprising the political scenario, and apparently sending a message of prudence, but many fear that if their ticket wins, who will really run the show is Cristina, since the votes are hers.