BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — President Cristina Fernandez’s chosen successor easily won Argentina’s open primaries, but the results Monday underscored that October’s election is still up for grabs and voters remain deeply divided about who could best tackle the country’s myriad economic problems.
With 93 percent of ballots counted, Daniel Scioli was leading with 38 percent of the vote. Mauricio Macri and others in his “Let’s Change” coalition topped opposition candidates with about 30 percent while Sergio Massa garnered 20 percent.
All candidates competed on the same ballot, with the top finishers from each party qualifying for the Oct. 25 general election. That meant Sunday’s primaries were essentially a giant national poll.
“No matter how you look at it, the only truth is the reality,” Scioli told supporters early Monday, paraphrasing famous words by former President Juan Domingo Peron, founder of the ruling political movement. “And the reality is that we have a big margin over our adversaries.”
Still, Scioli’s margin would not be enough to win election in the first round, which would require either 45 percent of the vote or 40 percent and a 10-point margin over the runner-up. A November runoff would likely benefit Macri, who might pick up the votes from Argentines who initially supported other opposition candidates.
“We deserve to live better. Our children deserve a better country,” Macri told supporters. “And to do that we know that we need better government.”
The South American nation is struggling with inflation that independent analysts put at over 30 percent and the Argentine peso has slid sharply against the American dollar. A longstanding dispute with U.S. hedge funds has kept foreign investors away.
“When are we going to finally become a serious country?” said Adrian Williams, a 51-year-old camera technician who said he was voting for Macri. “Just look at the inflation. It’s crazy.”
Scioli, the governor of the Buenos Aires province and a former vice president, won Fernandez’s endorsement in June. He has praised her policies but also promised to make reforms where necessary and be more amicable in dealings with other countries.
Macri, the former mayor of Buenos Aires and ex-president of the popular Boca Junior soccer club, has promised to attract foreign investment by making the country more business friendly and lifting restrictions on citizens’ ability to buy U.S. dollars — a promise the government and some economists say isn’t realistic.
Two weeks ago, Macri did an about-face by saying he now supported Fernandez’s state takeovers of the Aerolineas Argentinas airline and the YPF oil company. The move was widely interpreted as an acknowledgement that Macri couldn’t run as an anti-Fernandez candidate when a large part of the electorate continues to support her.
Massa, who held cabinet and elective posts before breaking with Fernandez, has tried to distinguish himself by promising to jail corrupt politicians.
Scioli was buoyed by Fernandez’s endorsement, but her blessing could be a pyrrhic victory since the polarizing leader has both a rabid following and many vociferous critics.
Fernandez is constitutionally barred from running for a third term. Her late husband and predecessor, Nestor Kirchner, was elected in 2003 and served one term before she ran. The couple is widely credited with lifting Argentina after one of its worst moments, a $100 billion default in late 2001 that forced a run on the banks and wiped out the savings of many citizens.
But detractors say Fernandez’s policies, which include gas and transportation subsidies, along with perks for single mothers and periodic pension increases, have contributed to heavy inflation. There is also fatigue with her combative rhetoric.
“The president talks and talks, but all she has done is leave us bankrupt,” said Jorge Fernandez, 75, a flower salesman who said he was so disgusted with the political climate that he didn’t vote.
Candidates were also vying for several governor and congressional races. Only candidates with at least 1.5 percent of the vote in their respective races can continue to the general elections, effectively eliminating many small-party candidates.
The election was held under heavy rains and turnout was low by local standards, which means millions more will likely vote in October. Election authorities said about 74 percent of those eligible cast ballots. Voting is mandatory, though there are several exceptions and most violators at most pay a small fine.
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Associated Press writers Debora Rey and Almudena Calatrava contributed to this report.
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