At 9pm on Sunday the results of Argentina’s first ever primary election were announced, in which 29 million voters took part. Despite having been named the favourite from the moment she announced her candidacy, incumbent Cristina Fernández de Kirchner shocked many by landing an overwhelming majority of 50%. She took to a podium before crowds of supporters chanting “we are Argentines! we are Argentines!” and tearfully applauded the new system for enhancing democracy and minimising corruption. The primary election system was set up as a way to whittle down the number of candidates that run in the final October election – so that the people could choose their candidates for presidency and vice presidency. Many have argued, however, that since candidates made themselves known months ago, this simply turned into more of a nationwide survey.
Florencia Aguilar, 18, student
They were very strange. I knew Cristina had a lot of support and was probably going to win but to get 50%… There’s not very much anyone can do now, although people say the opposition should unite, it’s pretty obvious she’s going to win. I voted for Rodriguez Sáa. I like what he did with San Juan, but, you know, there were so many candidates and he was just the best of the bunch. If you ask me think four more years of Cristina is an outrage – I don’t know what half the country is doing voting for her. Initially I thought the primaries could be good by working against Cristina – for example, if she didn’t win – but in the end it just had the opposite effect.
Alejandra Rodriguez Coelho, 27, student
I wasn’t happy with the result – I don’t think it’s a good thing. I don’t like the current government. But I know that the majority do, and by the looks of things no one will be able to beat her in October. I don’t like that they target the unemployed and give them incentives to vote. The homeless get lots of benefits and subsidies, and it’s all coming out of our pensions. It kind of annoys me that I don’t know how much money I’ll actually get when I retire because of all these subsidies that they hand out. Basically I think that economically we’re in a bad position right now. I think the next four years will just keep us stuck in this situation. I want to know what it will be like when she’s gone, when things aren’t done the way she does things. I think things are just going to get more expensive since inflation is definitely much higher than what the government says it is. I voted for Rodriguez Sáa. I listened to what each candidate had to say and out of all of them his policies worked best for me. I got married recently and now I want my own place, but here, like for the majority of Argentines, it’s impossible. I have somewhere now but it is a problem that for young people it’s not easy to land a place to live. That’s one of the things Rodriguez Sáa proposed: for young people to more easily attain their own home. I also liked how he was running San Luis. I like the things he’s been doing basically.
Thomas Kenny, 69, taxi driver
It was just a poll really, wasn’t it? Just a survey. We’re not really doing anything by voting because all the candidates are going to change their approach now – as voters we’re not affecting anything. It was just a survey that cost a heap of money. So, no, I don’t think the primaries did anything for anyone. It was just to make the winners happy and the losers sad. I was so surprised by the result. I never thought Cristina could get 50%. Maybe forty maximum, but fifty! I think we’ve got four horrible years ahead of us. It’s terrible. The government is made up of thugs. It’s going to be awful. Terrible. No one will be able to beat her in October. None of the politicians in this country are any good. There are so many people but… I voted for Carrió but only because there wasn’t really any other option, and no one voted for her because she’s not that great to look at!
Felicialo Torres, 38, editor and publisher
Well there’s nothing to say really – 50% of the country are backing Cristina so whatever anyone else thinks, you have to respect that that’s an overwhelming majority. For those of us that don’t agree, we’re just going to have to accept our differences and get on with it. We’ll see what happens. These are only primaries and in October there’ll probably be a similar outcome but we’ll see over the next four years whether it was a good or bad thing. That’s the only thing I can do really, see what happens. No one could beat Cristina now, not with just two months until the election. Could someone do a better job? They could do. Not with 50% of the country supporting Cristina though. Personally, I voted for someone else even though I knew they wouldn’t be elected President, but I have to be respectful of the fact that 50% of people in this country – a country I don’t currently live in – support her, so she is the one to lead the country.
Marta Graciela, trader
I think the result was fair, and the best thing for this country, a country that suffered a terrible economic crisis – there are so many reasons. I voted for Cristina mainly because she has chosen to give pensions to those who need it most, for supporting and protecting mothers and children. A few years ago people were losing their jobs and there was never food on the table. Now we have a very productive country and it’s fantastic. I’m very happy with the way things are. I’m so glad she won and she’s going to keep things going the way they are. There are so many other important reasons why Cristina won: I voted for her because we have a very successful and productive country, everyone works, everyone eats, all of the industries are doing very well. I’m so happy with how much better things are. I always knew she’d win. That’s why I voted for her. She’s very intelligent and she’s done what has to be done no matter what anyone says. I had a factory in Menem’s time with 120 workers and I had to shut it down because the industry was doing so badly – for a dozen glasses companies abroad would charge $2 but I had to charge $5. I’m so happy now; I never want things to change from how they are now.
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