Argentine first lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner claims victory in presidential election

www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-29 11:06:04

BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) --

Argentina's first lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner late Sunday claimed victory in the country's presidential election, with partial results showing that she had won by a large margin.

"We have won amply," Fernandez said in a televised speech hours after polls closed. "This is a triumph for all Argentines."

With outgoing President Nestor Kirchner standing beside her, she made special mention "of the man who is at my side today, and who has been my companion all my life," and blew her husband a kiss.

Fernandez also acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead, saying her victory, "far from putting us in a position of privilege, puts us instead in a position of greater responsibilities and obligations."

With results from more than four-fifths of polling stations, the 54-year-old senator had about 44 percent of the vote, compared with 23 percent for former lawmaker Elisa Carrio and 17 percent for former economy minister Roberto Lavagna.

Under Argentina's electoral rules, Fernandez avoids a runoff with at least 40 percent and a margin of 10 percent over the runner-up.

Both Carrio and Lavagna conceded defeat.

Profile: Argentina's two main presidential candidates

www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-28 12:13:30 Print

BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) --

Argentina holds a presidential election Sunday. Following are profiles of the two leading candidates:

-- Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, wife of incumbent President Nestor Kirchner and candidate of the ruling Victory Front coalition, is the favorite to win the polls.

With a lead of 40-48 percent of support in recent polls, Fernandez will, if successful, become Argentina's first elected woman president.

Born in La Plata in Buenos Aires province on Feb. 19, 1953, Fernandez, studied law at the School of Legal and Social Sciences of La Plata National University in the 1970s.

She married Kirchner, her fellow university student, in 1975 before moving to the province of Santa Cruz, where the couple opened a law firm.

Fernandez was elected a deputy in the provincial legislature of Santa Cruz in 1989. She entered the national parliament in 1995 as a senator, then as a deputy, then again as a senator from 2001.

In 2005, Fernandez was elected national senator for Buenos Aires province, her native land.

During the 2003 general elections, Fernandez provided the main backbone for her husband's successful campaign for Argentina's presidency, against two other Justicialist candidates and several other competitors. Then she served as an itinerant ambassador for her husband's government.

Fernandez has promised to seek faster economic growth, create more jobs, fight insecurity and support social programs. She has also pledged reforms to improve Argentina's government and economy.

-- Elisa Carrio, left-leaning candidate of independent Civic Coalition, won 15.7-18.1 percent of support in recent polls.

Carrio, born in the province of Chaco in 1956, graduated from the Nordeste National University. She then served as professor and administrator at the same university and later became a lawyer.

She served as a national deputy in 1995, 1999 and 2005.

From May to November of 2001, Carrio led a special commission in the Chamber of Deputies to investigate crimes linked to money laundering.

Carrio is author of many law projects and many books on political science and philosophy.

She vowed to seek a 6-percent sustained annual growth, reduce inflation from 20 percent to 5 percent, and raise education budget by 6 percent of the gross domestic product if she wins the presidency.

She has also promised to fight corruption, seek more resources for social programs, including healthcare and housing, and maintain an honest and working government.

Backgrounder: Key facts about Argentina's general elections

www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-28 10:04:43 Print

BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) --

Voters go to the polls on Sunday in Argentina's presidential and congressional elections.

The following are some key facts about the elections in Argentina:

Argentina, with a total area of over 2,780,400 square km and a population of 37 million, occupies almost the whole of South American continent south of the Tropic of Capricorn and east of the Andes. It has a long Atlantic coastline stretching from Uruguay and the River Plate to Tierra del Fuego.

According to the national electoral directorate, some 27.1 million people have registered for Sunday's elections to choose new president, whose mandate will last for four years starting on Dec. 10.

Voters will also elect a vice-president, 130 deputies and 24 senators. The provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Cruz, Formosa, Mendoza, Jujuy, Salta, La Pampa and Misiones will also elect governors.

Across the country 12,241 polling stations have been set up, with a total of 73, 771 ballot boxes. For the first time 20,148 prisoners will vote in 182 prisons.

Voting opens at 8 a.m. local time (1100 GMT) and ends at 6 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Sunday.

Thirteen candidates are competing for the presidency. The latest opinion poll showed that with 40 to 48 percent of support, current first lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner led by more than20 points above her closest rival Elisa Carrio, an anti-corruption leader, who garnered only 15.7 to 18.1 percent of support.

The two leading candidates promise to boost economy, reduce inflation, foster social progress and intensify the fight against crime.

Under Argentine election laws, a candidate who wins 45 percent of the vote, or 40 percent with a 10-point lead over the second front-runner, takes the presidency outright. Otherwise, a second round of voting will be held between the top two candidates.

According to Argentina's constitution, the president and vice-president are elected directly for a four-year term, renewable only once.

Argentina's legislative power is vested with the bicameral Congress, comprising the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The Chamber of Deputies has 257 directly-elected members, chosen for four years, and approximately one-half of the membership shall be renewed every two years. The Senate has 72 directly-elected members for a six-year term, with one-third of the seats renewable every two years.

Some 100,000 soldiers will guarantee security during the elections and 80 foreign observers will supervise the process.

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