RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The slate with election candidates Alberto Fernández (for president) and Cristina Kirchner (for vice president) now has a lead of over 21 percentage points over that featuring current President Mauricio Macri and his running mate Miguel Ángel Pichetto. The figures are based on a survey conducted by the Gustavo Córdoba polling institute on September 13th and 14th involving 2,200 people.
According to the study, Fernández/Kirchner can expect more than 53 percent of the votes, while for Macri/Pichetto only 32 percent are forecast. This means that the lead has increased by more than five percentage points since the primary elections on August 11th.
This result, if maintained, would mean the presidential election would be decided on the first round of balloting, on October 27th. In nationwide elections, 130 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 24 senatorial posts are also being contested in the upcoming election.
The survey of political parties also showed a clear lead for the “Frente de todos” (“Alliance of All”) with 52 percent voter approval, far more than the Macri government coalition “Juntos por el Cambio” (“Together for Change”) with only 32.5 percent.
The third strongest party, “Consenso Federal” (“Federal Consensus”), is very weak, having only 3.7 percent approval. For the Trotskyist alliance, ‘Frente de Izquierda’ (“Leftist Front”) slightly more than two percent is forecast.
Moreover, almost 60 percent of respondents believe that the government is to blame for the country’s current economic crisis. Almost 65 percent believe that the government will not be able to solve the current problems.
The presidential candidates continue their election campaign. Macri called on his supporters through social media for nationwide support marches on September 28th. Alberto Fernández was recently welcomed by the presidents of Bolivia, Evo Morales, and Peru, Martín Vizcarra. He had previously met the Socialist leaders of Spain and Portugal, Pedro Sánchez and Antonio Costa, during a trip to Europe.
One month before the elections, however, Cristina Kirchner, the vice-presidential candidate, is facing further trouble. The trial on charges of corruption in the awarding of state contracts during her term of office will soon begin with an oral hearing, according to the judge in charge, Claudio Bonadío.
To this end, he has officially requested the initiation of an impeachment procedure. However, it is unlikely that the majority of deputies will waive Kirchner’s immunity as a senator.