Argentina votes on big economic, political change

Argentines voted on Sunday in a presidential runoff that could end 12 years of leftist government and see the pro-business Opposi-tion seize command of Latin America’s third-biggest economy.

Polls show that the ma-yor of Buenos Aires, former Boca Juniors football executive Mauricio Macri (56) could beat his left-wing rival Daniel Scioli (58), an ex-power boating champion. If Mr Macri breaks the grip of Peronism, the broad populist movement that has dominated Argentine politics for a century, he could become Argentina’s most economically liberal leader since the 1990s.

Queues formed at polling stations which opened at 1100 GMT under sunny blue skies in the capital Buenos Aires, a key electoral territory. Voting was due to close at 2100 GMT with first results expected in the following hours.

Mr Macri has cast himself as a force for change, as many voters are fed up after 12 years of government by Cristina Fernán-dez de Kirchner and her predecessor and late husband, Nestor Kirchner.

“We deserve to live better than this,” Mr Macri said at his closing campaign rally.Mr Scioli said Mr Macri’s proposed economic reforms threatened Arg-entines’ welfare payments, salaries and industry. “Macri means the devaluation that destroys salaries. He is the demon of savage capitalism,” Mr Scioli said.

The latest opinion poll by consultancy Management and Fit showed Mr Macri with 55.3 per cent support and Mr Scioli with 44.7 per cent.

Polls in Argentina have proved unreliable in forecasting results in the past however. They also indicated there were millions of undecided voters.

Mr Macri has proposed to lift restrictions on imports and on US dollars — though analysts say he may struggle to push reforms through a hostile Congress.

He surprised pollsters in the first round vote by finishing just three points behind his rival, with 34.1 per cent of the vote to Mr Scioli’s 37 per cent. The narrow result forced a run-off vote.