President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and VP-elect Amado Election (Photo courtesy of CFK Argentina)

With over 98% of the votes counted, incumbent president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of Frente para la Victoria won 53.96% of the votes, securing her presidency for four more years. Her closest opponent came in far behind with a margin of more than 35 points.

Yesterday’s election results are yet another stride in Cristina Fernández’ political career. She had already stepped into history when in 2007 she became the first female to be elected president of Argentina. Today, gender aside, her victory is among the most emphatic in the country’s last 100 years. Only two presidents have won with a higher share of the votes: Hipólito Yrigoyen, first president of the Unión Cívica Radical (UCR) party; and Juan Domingo Perón, creator of the Justicialista party and the Peronism movement.

There were other, smaller victories. In a surprise result, Hermes Binner from the Alianza Frente Amplio Progresista came second with just 16.87% of the vote, having gained on his nearest rivals by collecting over 5% more of the vote than in the August’s primaries. In response to some accusations, Binner said that he will not be a mere supporter of the FpV: “We will be the alternative in the Congress.”

Despite August’s primaries placing UCR candidate Ricardo Alfonsín second, he came in third with just 11% of the ballots. Eduardo Duhalde from the Alianza Frente Popular, on his revival in politics after disappearing since 2003, obtained almost ten percentage points fewer than in the primaries, coming in fifth. Alberto Rodriguez Sáa, candidate of Alizana Compromiso Federal ended up fourth. The former governor of San Luis proudly said: “My province is the only one she has yet to win.”

The worst night was for the candidate of the Coalición Cívica. Leader Elisa Carrió said: “It’s the worse election of our history.” In the presidential elections of 2007 Carrió came second with 23% of the votes. And in the mid-term elections of 2009 her party obtained more votes nationwide than the FpV, when the president’s popularity rating fell below 30%. Yesterday, Carrió picked up a mere 1.84%, leaving her party at the bottom of the list.

The days leading up to the elections lacked the typical pre-election fervor. Instead, there was more of a resigned “she has already won” in the public’s mind. Opposition parties campaigned for voters to cast their ballots in favour of their congressmen as they gave up on the idea of overtaking Cristina Fernández’ lead. This scepticism was due to the results of the primaries of 14th August.

Cristina and her son Maximiliano (Photo courtesy of CFK Argentina)

In her words

After all her rival candidates had spoke publicly, the president appeared on the stand dressed in black and started her speech calmly. Meanwhile, supporters there started cheering against Julio Cobos, her first term vice-president, who will be replaced by Amado Boudou during the second term. She chastised them quickly, saying: “Stop or I’ll get mad: in victory one must be more generous and thankful.” Her tone became fervid when she mentioned her late husband, Néstor Kirchner, to whom she dedicated her victory and called “one of the best political figures Argentina has had.”

She went on to criticise the local press, saying “Some who have microphones talk about institutions but then demolish them slowly”, claiming that before the new media law they used to be untouchables who nobody could challenge, and politicians had to beg for a minute more on television or a couple more lines in the newspaper columns.

The president then marked the significance of continuity. She then specified: “Not a personal continuity, the importance of a political project of the nation.” This statement could be interpreted as a way of saying that she will not try to change the constitution in order to have unlimited re-elections, as some politicians such as Carrió are warning. In March 2011 the president said while addressing the Congress: “If I have not reached a simple majority to pass the budget bill, who could possibly think of a Constitutional reform?” Now that voters have granted her control of the legislature some believe she might try to establish unlimited re-elections.

She concluded her speech remembering her husband: “I know he is here right now, more than ever.” Later, her daughter Florencia and son Maximiliano - who is slowly gaining presence in politics - joined her on stage, to close the election night victory dancing and celebrating in Plaza de Mayo in front of thousands of people.

Daniel Scioli and Cristina on the campaign trail (Photo courtesy of Daniel Scioli Flickr)

Buenos Aires Province mirrors Argentina

In the most populated province of the country, the presidential elections were simultaneous to the elections for governor. The candidate of the FpV, Daniel Scioli, was re-elected with 55% of the votes and leaving far behind the rest of the candidates. The resemblance to Cristina Fernández’ victory is clear as even the gap between the percentages of the candidates are almost identical. Both elections reflect not only the popularity of Kirchnerism but also the apparent downfall of opposite parties.

In Buenos Aires the UDESO candidate Francisco de Narváez came in second with 15.87% of the ballots; and Margarita Stolbizer for the same party as Hermes Binner ended up in third place with 11.68% of the votes.

Moreover, in Buenos Aires’s ballot there was also a candidate who in the mid term elections of 2009 received more votes than the FpV; and whose popularity today has weaken considerably. In 2009, Francisco De Narváez had reached a higher percentage of votes than Néstor Kirchner and Daniel Scioli himself. However, yesterday De Narváez could not manage to sustain his achievements, just as Elisa Carrió.

Daniel Scioli dedicated his triumph to the president and also mentioned Néstor Kirchner:”I had the privilege of accompanying him and starting this national project that Cristina [Fernández de] Kirchner is continuing magisterially.” In the province the blank votes surpassed the normal levels, reaching 12% of the votes, more votes than those collected by Stolbizer. Scioli’s victory leaves him as a possible candidate of the FpV in 2015 as President Fernández is not allowed to run for a third term.

Last week, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner confirmed her candidacy as president in the upcoming 23rd October elections.

Recent polls rate her as likely victor in the elections. According to Poliarquía she has a 58% popularity rating with 49% of respondents voting for her, and CEOP Opinion Publica gives her 48% support- way more than all the other candidates.

To win the election in the first round, a candidate requires either 45% of votes cast, or 40% of votes cast and a 10% margin over the nearest rival.

The Argentina Independent hit the streets to find out what Buenos Aires residents think of her official candidacy and what her government offers to Argentine society.

Walter Godoy, 26, literature and philosophy student, Devoto

I have the impression that she has gained huge consensus, especially amongst the younger crowds. For example in my university, it is the first time that I see people taking part in peronist movements having sit-ins in the university. It strikes me, but it is a good thing. I’m not taking part or being in favour as such, but I can say that a certain dogmatism has been formed around her personality, that there is a lot of support for her, for her charisma and for what she represents, that doesn’t necessarily has to do with her politics. There’s also a general positive feeling about the economy since 2003, which she and her husband helped a lot with. I think she will win in the elections, but I don’t know until when she will be able to sustain the appearance that everything is going so well.

Ramiro Lehkuniec, 31, theatre actor, Almagro

I think that our society today is polarised. When you talk with people they are either for Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner or against her. Obviously the country is in a much better place today than it was a while ago; there’s been a lot of improvements, in terms of human rights, good changes that are undeniable. I feel more on the left side of the political spectrum -I work for the city government, I work in education- but I feel a bit unsure in these elections. Of course, there’s no doubt that the political model is better than previous ones, and has a programme with concrete ideas. However I’m not completely convinced, because it seems that powerful groups benefit quite a lot. She probably has the best proposal amongst the other candidates, but I think that our transformation as a society could be more radical.

Romina Spacciari , 30, teacher, Villa Crespo

I think that we have a good government, with interesting projects, and which looks much more towards the people. However, there is a lot of internal diversity, with people fighting for the rights of all and others just fighting for themselves. This government has done a lot but there is still much to be done. In education for example, we teachers have a lot of difficulties to find the means and basic benefits that some good schools have. I think it would be good to continue with this government if they broaden their projects, with more and better schools, hospitals and improving the health system in general. Overall, I think that her government is doing well and that it does what it says.

Fernando Martin, 40, theatre actor, Flores

In my opinion she is a figure of peronism, more than anything else. In reality, the economic model she offers is one of accumulation of capital that has the same structure as the neoliberal model. In terms of distribution, I think it is inacceptable is to see money in a few hands and a lot of poverty. In the last ten years, rich people have gotten richer and poorer people, well, not that much. It’s true that some of her social policies are easily eaten up by inflation. A programme of social assistance is not a structural change in the economy. In terms of elections I think she is the only candidate who would be able to sustain the current economic model. In terms of human rights there have been improvements, but I think it’s the society who has improved not the government.

Maria Ines Carroso, 54, teacher, Almagro

For me it is not really a surprise that she is candidate again. As a woman I feel very proud but on the other hand I don’t really agree with certain things she says, and because of this I don’t know if I would vote for her. I did vote for her the first time and I am proud that a woman is representing us; I think that is an important factor. But there needs to be personal convictions as well, no? Today I think that she is different from 2003 because she’s probably more to the right, towards big companies and powerful economic sectors.

Photos by Beatrice Murch