Primary elections in Argentina
Argentinians will head to the polls today to determine the candidates for October’s legislative midterm elections.
Observers will especially be watching the outcome in the province of Buenos Aires, where former President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner and Esteban Bullrich, who is backed by President Mauricio Macri’s governing coalition face off.
A recent poll puts Ms Kirchner 4% ahead of Mr Bullrich, although that figure is still well within the margin of error. The vote is seen as an important indicator of just how strong support for Argentina’s former president—who is purportedly seeking to run for the highest office again in 2019—really is.
Investors will be hoping that Kirchner’s bid for power won’t come to fruition; since she declared her candidacy in late June, the Argentinian peso fell by over 9%. Kirchner and her allies will also seek to reverse Macri’s efforts to liberalise the country’s markets and balance the budget.
While it is reasonable to expect Ms Kirchner to win tomorrow’s primary elections, she’s still a way’s away from getting back into the senate, let alone the highest office.
