CFK trashes rivals in Primary win

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner swept out all clouds and doubts as the official reports indicate the HEad of State had 50.06 percent of votes in the nationwide primary elections with 96.78percent of votes counted. UCR candidate Ricardo Alfonsín came second with a 12.17 percent, while Eduardo Duhalde trailed third with 12.16 percent. Interior Minister Florencio Randazzo announced a turnout of 76 percent of the registered voters.

Thus, Fernández de Kirchner looks set to win a second term in October and deepen her interventionist policies after thrashing rivals in a primary election with 38 points ahead of the closest contender, centrist opposition congressman Alfonsín. 

Socialist Party's hopeful and Santa Fe Governor, Hérmes Binner, obtained 10.26 percent of the votes, while San Luis Governor, Alberto Rodríguez Saá took 8.17 percent of the vote. In a fourth batch came Elisa Carrió, who went from being the opposition's leader in 2007 presidentials (23.04%) to yesterday's poor 3.24 percent.

At last, left-wing front's representative, Jorge Altamira, got enough votes to access October's race after obtaining 2.48 percent of the votes.        

The results showed Fernández has no real competitor in the October 23 election and is on track for a first round win.

Fernández de Kirchner's two main opponents, Alfonsín and former care-taker President Eduardo Duhalde, fared worse than expected. Plus, the law prohibits them from forming an alliance for next October presidentials.   

The President won strong support in urban and rural areas -including farming centers despite the 2008 mayhem triggered by farmers and grain exporters with corn and wheat export curbs- and has a wide lead in opinion polls. 

Kirchnerites celebrated to the sound of drumming outside the president's campaign headquarters at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown BA City. 

Cheering supporters waved flags and images of her late husband and presidential predecessor, Nástor Kirchner along with aloft images of revolutionary icon Ernesto "Che" Guevara de la Serna.

"I call on everyone to think about the big picture, to be united. The world is in difficulty but if we manage to get over our differences we can learn to make fewer mistakes," Fernández told supporters, extending an olive branch to her rivals.

She also paid tribute to Kirchner, who died last year, and has vowed to push on with and deepen his policies that foster import substitution and pro-poor subsidies. 

Sunday's primary appeared as a nationwide opinion poll since parties had already chosen their candidates and voters could cast ballots for any party's candidate.

Fernández needs to win 45 percent of the vote in October to win outright and can avoid a run-off with 40 percent plus a 10-point lead over the runner-up.

The primaries were celebrated as 28,840,339 electors voted to choose candidacies for public office, locally and nationally, which will enable parties and coalitions to run on October’s 23rd general elections.

Voters casted their votes to elect President and Vice President (across the country), governors (in four provinces, including crucial Buenos Aires province), 24 senators (Buenos Aires, Formosa, Jujuy, La Rioja, Misiones, San Juan, San Luis and Santa Cruz provinces), 130 lawmakers (City and all provinces), mayors and councilmen.

Elections were held simultaneously in 24 provinces, open to all potential candidates regardless of party affiliation. In order to be approved for October’s elections, candidates must obtain a minimal of 1.5 percent of the valid votes.

Citizens search their names in the electoral register before voting at a polling station in downtown Buenos Aires city, on August 14, 2011.

 

Presidential candidate Hermes Binner (L) after casting his vote in a polling station in Santa Fe, some 500 km north of Buenos Aires on August 14, 2011, during the primaries before the presidential elections to be held on October 23.

 

Presidential candidate Ricardo Alfonsin, casting his vote in a poling station in Chascomus, some 120 km southwest of Buenos Aires on August 14, 2011, during primary elections.

Article taken from here.