A senior lawmaker from the ruling coalition of Argentine President Cristina Kirchner said that the Peronist party in the province of Rio Negro “would stand by” Vice-Governor Alberto Weretilneck, scheduled to take office as provincial governor on Tuesday due to the death of former governor Carlos Soria.
The Governor of the Argentine Patagonian province of Rio Negro died in the early morning of the first day of 2012 after having allegedly received two shots in the face. Governor Carlos Soria, an ally of President Cristina Fernandez had ended last October 28 years of opposition dominance of his province.
Argentina’s latest provincial election, before the October 23 presidential ballot, was a landslide victory for Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner supported candidates and an end to 28 years of dominance by Argentina’s main opposition party in the Patagonia province of Rio Negro.