Deputies last night passed a law that will lower the legal voting age to 16 in Argentina. The bill was passed with 131 votes to 2, having already been approved by the senate.

Voting is obligatory in Argentina for those aged between 18 and 70, but will now be available to 16 and 17 year-olds.

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has for a long time been a big supporter of lowering the voting age, and many see the move as being beneficial for her party which has invested largely in trying to gain the youth vote. It is believed the decision will lead to in excess of a million teenage votes in the key mid-term elections next year.

The process was not without scandal however, as members of the opposition walked out following controversial comments from Andres Larroque, secretary general of La Cámpora.

When speaking to the house, Larroque referred to the socialist opposition as “narcosocialists” following recent allegations that link former police chief Hugo Tognoli with drug-trafficking in the socialist governed province of Santa Fe. The comment was met with anger and shouting from members of the Frente Amplio Progresista (FAP), before eventually the opposition benches just got up and left. The process continued without them.

After the voting bill was passed, the lower house also approved the creation of the National Institute of Music, an organisation that will seek to inspire and encourage Argentine musicians.

The 2013 federal budget was also passed yesterday. It cleared the senate with 42 votes in favour and 23 against. The budget forecasts 4.4% economic growth in 2013. In addition, it calls for total government spending to rise by 16%.

Deputies will today debate a bill that deals with the regulation of the ‘per saltum’ – an extraordinary measure that allows for certain cases to skip the lower courts and go straight to the Supreme Court – which was passed by the Senate yesterday.

Minister of Education Alberto Sileoni defended the proposal that would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in a speech given before the Senate this morning. The gathering of speakers and politicians began at 9am at the Palacio de Congreso, and is the first public debate regarding the controversial bills.

Introduced by ruling party Frente Para la Victoria (FPV) senator Aníbal Fernández, the proposed bills would grant the right to vote to 16-year-olds as well as foreigners who have lived in Argentina for at least two years. At the moment, voting is mandatory for Argentines over the age of 18 and optional for those over 70.

Sileoni was the first of 61 guests invited to speak this morning, in a debate that is projected to last until at least 8pm tonight. Other speakers include Secretary of Human Rights Martín Fresneda, National Electoral Director Alejandro Tullio, representatives from various student and youth groups, as well as psychologists and sociologists.

“The expansion of rights is a victory, never a step back,” Sileoni said. He asked lawmakers to trust in the youth and their capacity to participate in the political process.

“We believe that our young people, who are struggling to have greater participation, are ready to do it,” he affirmed.

Although FPV officials believe that the bills will pass easily in October, there are those who remain skeptical of the law’s practicality. In August, the principal of Buenos Aires National School (a high school affiliated with the University of Buenos Aires) expressed doubt, stating “they [16-year-olds] are still being formed as citizens and have a lot to learn.”

Sileoni countered these arguments, stating that the bill – which makes voting optional for 16-17-year-olds – “does not presume that all youths have political vocations, however it makes it desirable that they get involved in politics”.

If passed, Article 7 of the Electoral Code will have to be amended to allow Argentines who have reached the age of 16 to enjoy full political rights under the Constitution. The 2013 elections would see an additional 1.5 million young people eligible to vote, or about 4.6% of the total population that voted in 2011.

With over 140 guests expected to speak, the debate will most likely continue in Congress next Wednesday, 26th September.