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WORLD NEWSMonday 23 November 2015
At Press Time:
Early returns: Opposition candidate ahead in Argentine vote
ed Argentine politics for 12 oli. third largest, has stalled.
“We are doing well, very Inflation is around 30 per-
years. well,” said Maria Eugenia cent, gross domestic prod-
Vidal, governor-elect of uct growth is just above
With 38 percent of the votes the Buenos Aires province zero and many private
and a top official in Macri’s economists warn that the
counted, election authori- “Let’s Change” coalition. Fernandez administration’s
Scioli, who had been ex- spending is not sustainable.
ties said opposition candi- pected to win by 10 or Macri has promised to ad-
more points in last month’s dress the economic prob-
date Mauricio Macri had six-candidate election, lems and to shake things
tried to regain momentum up regionally. If elected,
54 percent support com- by frequently attacking he said, he would push
Macri before the runoff. He to expel Venezuela from
pared to 46 percent for ri- said a Macri victory would the South American trade
subject this nation of 41 mil- bloc known as Mercosur
val Daniel Scioli. The initial lion people to the market- because of the jailing of
driven policies of the 1990s, opposition leaders under
returns came after several a period of deregulation Maduro. That would be a
that many Argentines be- huge change for a con-
exit polls suggested that lieve set the stage for the tinent where many coun-
financial meltdown of 2001- tries, including neighbors
Macri would win. However, 2002. Chile, Brazil and Bolivia,
While he and close aides have left-leaning demo-
Argentine law does not al- expressed confidence ear- cratic governments that
ly Sunday, nobody from his have maintained close ties
low the exit polls to release camp had spoken since with Venezuela.
the polls closed. Over the course of the cam-
percentages and full num- A Macri win would signal paign, both candidates at
a clear end to the era of times tried to straddle the
Opposition presidential candidate Mauricio Macri arrives to bers until 9 p.m. local time. Fernandez, who along with center. Scioli said he would
vote during in a runoff presidential election in Buenos Aires, her late husband and pre- solve a long-standing New
Argentina, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015. Macri campaigned on decessor, Nestor Kirchner, York court fight with credi-
rewrote the country’s so- tors in the U.S. who Fernan-
(AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) promises to reform and cial contract, gaining both dez calls “vultures” and has
rabid followers and fierce refused to negotiate with.
jumpstart Argentina’s critics along the way. Macri flipped his position
The power couple spent and voiced support for the
PETER PRENGAMAN ing party contender in Sun- economy, and went into heavily on programs for the nationalization of the YPF
Associated Press day’s historic runoff to pick poor, raised tariffs to pro- oil company and Aerolin-
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina a replacement for outgo- Sunday’s race as the front- tect local economies and eas Argentina, popular ac-
(AP) — Opposition candi- ing President Cristina Fer- passed several progressive tions by the Fernandez ad-
date Mauricio Macri took nandez, who along with runner after his unexpect- laws, including the legal- ministration.
an early lead over the rul- her late husband dominat- ization of gay marriage in But there were also clear
edly strong showing in the 2010. differences.
Macri frequently repelled Macri, the mayor of Bue-
Oct. 25 first round that Scioli’s claim that Macri nos Aires, promised to lift
represented policies of the unpopular controls on the
forced a runoff against Sci- past, saying he would lead buying of U.S. dollars and
with “21st century develop- thus eliminate a booming
ment” as opposed to “21st black market for curren-
century socialism” — a cy exchange. Doing that
term used by supporters of would likely lead to a sharp
the late Venezuelan Presi- devaluation of the Argen-
dent Hugo Chavez and his tine peso. With low foreign
successor, Nicolas Maduro. reserves, the government
The election comes at a would desperately need
time when Argentina’s an immediate infusion of
economy, Latin America’s dollars.q
