Argentine president’s successor candidate ahead in primaries

Voters are getting an opportunity Sunday to assist determine whether or not these insurance policies are more likely to proceed within the South American nation of 41 million as they forged ballots in open primaries for presidential candidates who’ve all however sealed the nominations of their respective events.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) – Cristina Fernandez isn’t on Sunday’s presidential primary ballots, yet the influence of Argentina’s leader is all around it.

The prospect of a head-to-head between Scioli and his more business-friendly rival, Mauricio Macri, sent Argentine bond prices higher, with defaulted U.S. dollar discount bonds hitting a two-month high. The voters will decide presidential candidates in their respective parties ahead of the October 25, 2015 general elections.

So far, Scioli and Macri have given few details of their energy policy plans, but power companies and investors are hoping for tariff hikes.

Argentina introduced primaries in 2009 in a bid to make candidate selection more democratic and revitalize a party system gutted by the cataclysmic fallout of the economic crisis, when the country churned through five presidents in two weeks. He has praised Fernandez’s insurance policies but in addition promised to make reforms the place vital and be extra amicable in dealings with different nations.

If Mr Macri wins the primary or is close to Mr Scioli, a run-off in November will be more likely.

He said he expected preliminary primary results by late Sunday night.

The presidential candidates had all but sealed the nominations in their respective parties, making the exercise essentially a giant national poll ahead of the October. 25 elections.

” 32,064,323 citizens were eligible to vote today, with nearly 12 million registered in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina’s largest electoral district”.

Mauricio Macri, the outgoing mayor of Buenos Aires and former president of Boca Junior soccer club, is the top opposition candidate.

Meanwhile, Sergio Massa, who has held cabinet and elective posts and broke with Fernandez, is running on his own ticket and promises to jail corrupt politicians.

Political analysts suggest Scioli will now have to work hard to curry favor with the middle class to build support to win the general election in the first round. Her late husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner, was elected in 2003 and served one term before she ran.

The presidential election, in which Fernandez is banned from running for a third consecutive term, is on October 25.

Scioli said in a speech after Sunday’s vote he would “continue the programmes that need to be continued and change what needs to be changed in order to keep advancing”. Ignacio Labaqui, who analyses Argentina for Medley Global Advisors, said Mr Macri’s coalition needs at least 30 per cent on Sunday to stay in serious contention. There is also fatigue with her combative rhetoric.

If not, the election would go to a second round, a scenario that analysts say would increase the chances of Macri winning the presidency as voters who cast ballots for losing candidates could throw their support behind the businessman.

Candidates on Sunday were also vying for several governor and congressional slots. Only candidates with at least 1.5 percent of the vote in their respective races can continue to the general elections, effectively eliminating many minority party candidates. Voting is mandatory, though there are several exceptions and most violators at most pay a small fine.