Things are going from bad to worse for former Buenos Aires Cabinet Chief Martín Insaurralde, whose scandal with high-profile escort Sofía Clerici on a luxury yacht off Marbella splashed Argentine Economy Minister and presidential candidate Sergio Massa's chances in the upcoming Oct. 22 elections.
The extent of the damage caused by the so-called Insaurralde Scandal to the presidential candidacy of Argentina's Economy Minister Sergio Massa of the ruling Unión por la Patria (UP) front will not be known for certain until the Oct. 22 elections. The same will happen with Buenos Aires Governor Axel Kiciloff's reelection bid.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez's governing bloc held onto control of Congress in Sunday's mid-term elections, but the results also confirmed the emergence of a new group of powerful leaders who with different messages (and non-messages) anticipated on that same night that their target it the presidential chair in 2015.
Sunday's midterm election in Argentina has become crucial for the government of President Cristina Fernandez who must retain control of Congress in the last two years of her mandate ahead of the 2015 presidential election, otherwise she runs the risk of becoming a lame duck accompanied by a most unwished end for the legacy of the Kirchner couple decade-plus rule.
With less than four days for Sunday’s midterm elections in Argentina, Buenos Aires province Governor Daniel Scioli called on “undecided” and independent voters to cast their ballot for President Cristina Fernandez Victory Front (FpV) top candidate Martín Insaurralde “in favor of the province and the country.”
President Cristina Fernandez Victory Front’s parliamentary candidate for next October mid-term election, Martín Insaurralde admitted on Monday that inflation rate is higher than the one released by INDEC statistics agency although the agency is “transparent” and “must readjust to times and realities.”
On Sunday Argentina will go to the polls to select their candidates for the country’s upcoming October legislative elections. Though it may seem a trivial democratic chapter, the open, mandatory and simultaneous primaries will in fact be the first step in an election that is likely to prove critical to Argentina and most probably a referendum on President Cristina Fernandez’ administration.
Next Sunday the Argentine electorate will be participating in the different parties’ primaries ahead of the mid term October ballot, which could signal the beginning of the end of the Kirchner decade. The event is identified as PASO, open, simultaneous and mandatory primaries.
Pope Francis met with President Cristina Fernandez and other South American leaders following the closing ceremony of the XXVIII World Youth Day in Rio do Janeiro and presented the Argentine head of state with a gift of socks and shoes for her recently born first grandson Nestor Ivan Kirchner.
Five weeks ahead of primaries and three months away from mid term congressional election, public opinion polls indicate that President Cristina Fernandez could be heading to a serious defeat, particularly in the province of Buenos Aires, which with 37% of the national vote is decisive for any victory pretension.