Buenos Aires : Voters in Argentina headed to the polls on Sunday to choose their next president in an election that will bring an end to 12 years of government under power couple Nestor and Cristina Kirchner. Their heir apparent, Buenos Aires provincial Governor Daniel Scioli, is poised to win but may undo parts of their controversial legacy.
The frontrunner has vowed to uphold the core elements of “kirchnerism,” a populist creed built around trade protectionism, social welfare and defense of the working classes. But the 58-year-old powerboating fanatic — who lost his right arm in a 1989 racing accident — has also vowed a change in style to attract more investment and increase productivity, and has assembled an economic team of free-marketeers.
His top rival is Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri, the candidate of Argentines fed up with what they see as the Kirchners’ heavy-handed economic policy and belligerent politics. Macri, 56, rose to prominence as the boss of Argentina’s most popular football club, Boca Juniors, which won a string of titles under his reign.
