Argentine legislative election, 1997
Encyclopedia
Argentina
held national parliamentary elections on 26 October 1997 and the results were as follows:
Clarín
, who successfully campaigned to have the Argentine Constitution amended in 1994 largely for the sake of being eligible for a second term in office, won the 1995 election in a landslide. The clouds of recession gathered immediately, however, as Argentine business confidence struggled following the shock of the Mexican peso crisis. Unemployment in Argentina, already higher as a result of a wave of imports and sharp gains in productivity after 1990, leapt from 12% to 18% in the first half of 1995 and, as Argentines geared for the 1997 parliamentary mid-term elections two years later, the figure remained around 15% and wages, frozen at their 1994 level.
Themselves beset by sharp divisions over how to confront President Menem, whose longtime pragmatism had given way to increasingly doctrinaire conservatism
, the Justicialists' mainstay of support, the CGT
labor union, joined smaller unions, leftist activists and the progressive FrePaSo (the runners-up in the 1995 elections) in a series of general strikes beginning August 1996.
Economic problems also led to a sudden increase in crime, particularly property crime, even during the vigorous recovery during 1996-97. Menem's erstwhile "ace of spades," Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo
, whose Convertibility Plan
was lauded as the reason behind the "Argentine miracle" between 1991 and 1994 (in which the economy, following 16 years of zero growth, expanded by a third), became unpopular during the recession and strained relations with the President after publicly denouncing the influence of "mafias" within the administration. Cavallo was acrimoniously dismissed by the President in July 1996; but the January 1997 murder of Noticias
newsmagazine photojournalist José Luis Cabezas
and the subsequent implication of transport magnate Alfredo Yabrán
in the crime lent credence to Cavallo's accusations and cost the ruling Justicialist Party further approval.
Presented with a unique opportunity following his once mighty party's poor showing at the 1995 polls, former President and UCR
leader Raúl Alfonsín
negotiated an alliance with the center-left FrePaSo and, though in a number of provinces - including the second-largest (Córdoba
) - the UCR and FrePaSo ran on different slates, the Alliance
won a majority of congressional seats in 13 of 23 provinces and in the city of Buenos Aires
. The results marked the twilight of Menemists' dominance of Argentine politics.
Todo Argentina: 1996
Todo Argentina: 1997
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
held national parliamentary elections on 26 October 1997 and the results were as follows:
| Party/Electoral Alliance | Total Seats | Vote Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Justicialist Party Justicialist Party The Justicialist Party , or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.The party was led by Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, until his death on October 27, 2010. The current Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de... |
119 | 36.4% |
| Alliance for Work, Justice and Education Alliance for Work, Justice and Education The Alliance for Work, Justice and Education was a party coalition in Argentina around the turn of the third millennium... (led by the Radical Civic Union Radical Civic Union The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina... and FrePaSo) |
110 | 45.9% |
| Regional parties | 22 | 7.2% |
| Action for the Republic Action for the Republic Action for the Republic is a conservative political party in Argentina.Founded in 1998 by Domingo Cavallo as a defender of neo-liberal ideologies, it became the third party in the 1999 elections... |
2 | 3.1% |
| others | 4 | 7.4% |
| Total seats | 257 |
Clarín
Background
President Carlos MenemCarlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
, who successfully campaigned to have the Argentine Constitution amended in 1994 largely for the sake of being eligible for a second term in office, won the 1995 election in a landslide. The clouds of recession gathered immediately, however, as Argentine business confidence struggled following the shock of the Mexican peso crisis. Unemployment in Argentina, already higher as a result of a wave of imports and sharp gains in productivity after 1990, leapt from 12% to 18% in the first half of 1995 and, as Argentines geared for the 1997 parliamentary mid-term elections two years later, the figure remained around 15% and wages, frozen at their 1994 level.
Themselves beset by sharp divisions over how to confront President Menem, whose longtime pragmatism had given way to increasingly doctrinaire conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, the Justicialists' mainstay of support, the CGT
General Confederation of Labour (Argentina)
The General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic is a national trade union centre of Argentina founded on September 27, 1930, as the result of the merge of the USA and the COA trade union centres...
labor union, joined smaller unions, leftist activists and the progressive FrePaSo (the runners-up in the 1995 elections) in a series of general strikes beginning August 1996.
Economic problems also led to a sudden increase in crime, particularly property crime, even during the vigorous recovery during 1996-97. Menem's erstwhile "ace of spades," Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo
Domingo Cavallo
Domingo Felipe "Mingo" Cavallo is an Argentine economist and politician. He has a long history of public service and is known for implementing the Convertibilidad plan, which fixed the dollar-peso exchange rate at 1:1 between 1991 and 2001, which brought the Argentine inflation rate down from over...
, whose Convertibility Plan
Argentine Currency Board
The Argentine Currency Board pegged the Argentine peso to the U.S. dollar between 1991 and 2002 in an attempt to eliminate hyperinflation and stimulate economic growth. While it initially met with considerable success, the board's actions ultimately failed. In contrast of what most people think,...
was lauded as the reason behind the "Argentine miracle" between 1991 and 1994 (in which the economy, following 16 years of zero growth, expanded by a third), became unpopular during the recession and strained relations with the President after publicly denouncing the influence of "mafias" within the administration. Cavallo was acrimoniously dismissed by the President in July 1996; but the January 1997 murder of Noticias
Noticias (magazine)
Noticias de la Semana is a weekly newsmagazine in Spanish published in Argentina, where it is known simply as Noticias . Founded and published by Jorge Fontevecchia in a format similar to U.S...
newsmagazine photojournalist José Luis Cabezas
José Luis Cabezas
José Luis Cabezas was an Argentine news photographer who worked for Noticias, a leading local newsmagazine.On 25 January 1997, Cabezas was murdered at Pinamar, Argentina's most exclusive beach resort on the Atlantic Ocean, visited by politicians, businessmen, actors, sports figures and other...
and the subsequent implication of transport magnate Alfredo Yabrán
Alfredo Yabrán
Alfredo Yabrán was a powerful businessman in Argentina, with deep links with the government, in particular with the Carlos Saúl Menem administration...
in the crime lent credence to Cavallo's accusations and cost the ruling Justicialist Party further approval.
Presented with a unique opportunity following his once mighty party's poor showing at the 1995 polls, former President and UCR
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
leader Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
negotiated an alliance with the center-left FrePaSo and, though in a number of provinces - including the second-largest (Córdoba
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
) - the UCR and FrePaSo ran on different slates, the Alliance
Alliance for Work, Justice and Education
The Alliance for Work, Justice and Education was a party coalition in Argentina around the turn of the third millennium...
won a majority of congressional seats in 13 of 23 provinces and in the city of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. The results marked the twilight of Menemists' dominance of Argentine politics.
Todo Argentina: 1996
Todo Argentina: 1997