Argentina’s election primary on Sunday will determine President Mauricio Macri’s chances of winning a second term in October, with the country’s embattled peso currency expected to take a fresh beating next week if the business-friendly does not accomplish as expected.
Argentina's president Mauricio Macri is looking to strike an accord with political rivals, including nemesis Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, in a bid to calm volatile markets ahead of presidential elections towards the end of the year.
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.
Argentina's presidential election is headed for a November 22 runoff between incumbent Cristina Fernández chosen successor Daniel Scioli and conservative rival Mauricio Macri, according to results released into early Monday.
With less than three weeks to Argentina's presidential election, the government's candidate Daniel Scioli has chances of avoiding a runoff but he still needs a couple of points, according to Fabian Perechodnik, head of pollster Poliarquía. In Argentina the winning candidate needs 45% of the votes or 40% but with a ten-point difference over the runner up.
Daniel Scioli, Buenos Aires province governor and incumbent Victory Front presidential candidate, “will be the head of the nation” if he wins October elections while president Cristina Fernández will continue as “the natural leader of the Peronist national movement,” Argentine Cabinet Chief Aníbal Fernandez told reporters on Monday.
A clear majority of Argentines, 56%, in metropolitan Buenos Aires, which is the most densely populated area of the country, disapprove of President Cristina Fernandez, according to the latest public opinion poll made public but also 36% remain faithful and approve the performance of the controversial Argentine leader.
Buenos Aires City Mayor Mauricio Macri rejected on Thursday rumours suggesting a political alliance with the left leaning Broad Front UNEN, born this week and called for its leaders to seek an agreement for “after the (presidential) elections,” in 2015.
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.
President Cristina Fernandez has more power than Juan Domingo Peron “ever had” and Peronism in Argentina is guarantee of governance, according to Carlos Corach a former Interior minister from former President Carlos Menem administration and a respected solicitor and political analyst.