ARGENTINA

ELECTIONS IN 2005

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Chamber:
  Cámara de Diputados
 
Dates of election / renewal (from/to):
  23 October 2005
 
 
Purpose of elections:
  Elections were held to renew one-half of the seats (127) in the Chamber of Deputies on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
 
Background and outcome of elections:
  On 23 October 2005, parliamentary elections were held to renew half of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies and a third of the seats in the Senate (see Note).

Since 1945, the country has been characterized by a loose bipartisan system, represented by the Peronist Justicialist Party (PJ) and by the Radical Civic Union (UCR). In the previous elections held in 2003, the ruling centre-left PJ won 60 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, and nine in the Senate. The main opposition UCR, led by Mr. Ángel Rozas, obtained 22 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and five in the Senate.

Before the 2005 elections, the PJ split into two factions, one led by former President Eduardo Duhalde and the other by incumbent President Néstor Kirchner, who formed the Victory Front (FV). Analysts pointed out that the conflict between the two faction leaders might end bipartisanship in the country.

The 2005 parliamentary elections were largely seen as a test for President Kirchner, who had come to power in May 2003 when the country was still recovering from the 2001-2002 economic crisis, which had triggered a currency devaluation and a record debt. President Kirchner, now halfway into his four-year term, argued in his campaign that his economic policies, based on a weak currency, had led to Argentina's recovery. The country's economy is expected to expand by 7.8 per cent in 2005, the third consecutive year of growth since 2003.

Pre-election polls predicted a comfortable victory for the FV and its allies.

Turnout was 70.94 per cent for the Chamber of Deputies, and 72.26 per cent for the Senate. According to the final results, President Kirchner's FV and its allies won 17 of the 24 seats at stake in the Senate, and 69 in the Chamber of Deputies. Together with the seats that had not been up for re-election, the FV and its allies formed the largest block with 115 of the 257 seats. The PJ faction, led by former President Duhalde, secured 11 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and four in the Senate. The UCR and its allies won 19 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and three in the Senate. Recreate for Growth (RECREAR) won nine seats in the Chamber of Deputies, followed by Alternative for a Republic of Equals (ARI) with eight seats and the Socialist Party (PS) with five seats. In Buenos Aires, President Kirchner's wife, Mrs. Christina Fernández de Kirchner, won a senatorial seat by securing 46 per cent of the votes, largely surpassing Mr. Duhalde's wife, Hilda González de Duhalde, who also won a seat with 19 per cent of the votes.

Members of the Chamber of Deputies were convened on 10 December 2005 and elected Mr. Alberto Edgardo Balestrini as the new speaker.


 
STATISTICS
 
Round no 1 (23 October 2005): Election results
Number of registered electors 26'098'546
Voters 18'513'717 (70.94%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers 1'540'637
Valid votes 16'973'080
 
 
Round no 1: Distribution of votes
 
Political Group Candidates Votes %  
Victory Front (FV) and its allies  
Alliance for Work (UCF)  
Justicialist Party (PJ)  
RECREAR and its allies  
Alternativa República de Iguales (ARI)  
Others  
Socialist Party (PS)  
 
Round no 1: Distribution of seats
 
Political Group Total
Victory Front (FV) and its allies 69
Alliance for Work (UCF) 19
Justicialist Party (PJ) 11
RECREAR and its allies 9
Alternativa República de Iguales (ARI) 8
Others 6
Socialist Party (PS) 5
 
Comments:
Source:
http://www.elecciones2005.gov.ar/

Note on the "Distribution of seats according to sex":
The "Distribution of seats according to sex" below shows the breakdown for the MPs elected in 2005: 47 women of 127 members, or 37.01%.
After the 2005 elections, there were 91 women in all out of 257 members, or 35.41%.
The number of women has been reduced to 90. (Departamento de Estudios Culturales, Congreso de la nación, 14.02.2006).
 
Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men: 80
Women: 47
Percent of women: 37.01
 
Distribution of seats according to age:
 
Distribution of seats according to profession:


 

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