- Title: ARGENTINA: Governrment makes surprise early election call
- Date: 15th March 2009
- Summary: BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF CONGRESS BUILDING VARIOUS OF SENATORS VOTING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ELECTING DURING PRESIDENTIAL VOTE OBELISK WITH CARS IN STREET
- Embargoed: 30th March 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Argentina
- Country: Argentina
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAEEZT62WLPZZB1Q46CL6NRSPAY
- Story Text: Argentina's Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner wants earlier mid-term election as the economic crisis bears down on the No.3 Latin American economy.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez will ask Congress to move forward mid-term elections, she said on Friday (March 13, 2009), in a surprise move seen as an effort to preempt the impact of the global crisis.
The government wants the national elections to take place on June 28, four months earlier than scheduled.
Fernandez said that would give all political parties the opportunity to join together to combat the impact of the global financial crisis, which is starting to affect Latin America's No. 3 economy.
"We can't have a series of permanent elections from today until October 28 while we in a phenomenal economic crisis. Remembering as well that there have been important changes to the district elections, that have been brought forward. It would almost suicide to take society from today until October on a ride of constant arguments over positions, while the world is falling into pieces and those pieces can fall on top of us in the world. It would be suicide," Fernandez said.
The vote was to take place on October. 25 (although the president made an error by saying they would have been on October 28.) Critics said the center-left president was making the move out of fear her allies in Congress will be defeated as the slowdown takes its toll on Argentina.
Half of the lower house and a third of the Senate will be elected and it is a key test for Fernandez, who has seen her popularity fall steeply since she succeeded her husband, Nestor Kirchner, to the presidency in December 2007.
Buenos Aires' opposition mayor Mauricio Macri said on Thursday that city legislative polls would also be brought forward. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
