Argentina Ex-President Cristina Fernandez Claims Victory in Senate Race

By teleSUR

14 August 17

Though there has been no official declaration, Fernandez took the stage at a rally around 4:00 a.m. to claim victory as well as criticize the pace of the vote count.

ormer President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and President Mauricio Macri's candidate are virtually tied in Argentina’s congressional primaries leading up to the October election.

With 95.58 percent of votes in Buenos Aires province counted – home to nearly 40 percent of Argentina's electorate – the ruling party led by Macri's former Education Minister Esteban Bullrich had captured 34.19 percent while Fernandez was within a whisker with 34.11 percent.

Though there has been no official declaration, Fernandez took the stage at a rally around 4:00 a.m. to claim victory as well as criticize the pace of the vote count. 

"I never imagined I would have to ask pardon to all the Argentines for this embarrassment," she said. "It's an offense to democracy."

Regardless of the final decision, a second-place finish would land Fernandez a seat in the Senate. 

Under Argentina's election system, the winning party in each Senate race is awarded two of the province's three seats, with the remaining seat automatically going to the second-place finisher. 

Prior to the election, polls showed Fernandez leading former Education Minister Bullrich, with her campaign for senator for the Citizen Unity gaining mass support.

But, it was Bullrich who took a comfortable lead, early on, before Fernandez posted a late comeback to obliterate the gap.

Fernandez introduced her Citizen’s Unity political alliance in early July; a movement which aims to form a broad coalition of parties to counter the neoliberalism of Macri’s administration.

Under Macri, economic controls were lifted and social spending slashed, undoing many of the progressive gains made under the Kirchner presidencies of Fernandez and her late husband Nestor Kirchner.

Interior Minister Rogelio Frigerio said that voting throughout the day took place without incident.

“It has been a very quiet and peaceful day, with important voter participation, around 74 percent of the electorate were able to vote,” Frigerio said.

The primaries decide which candidates will contest the legislative elections in October.