Argentine legislative election, 2001
Encyclopedia
Argentina
held national parliamentary elections on Sunday, 14 October 2001. Turnout was 75.6% and the results were as follows:
Chamber of Deputies
Senate
took control of both houses of the National Congress
, severely limiting the power of the administration of the UCR
-FrePaSo party alliance led by President
Fernando de la Rúa
, which lost 26 seats. The Argentine Senate
faced its first elections since 1995, and per an agreement crafted following the 1994 reform of the Argentine Constitution
, all 72 seats would be renewed, and elected Senators would serve for two, four, or six-years in their first term afterwards. Senators, save for the City of Buenos Aires, had been elected by their respective provincial legislatures, and would now be popularly elected.
The change cost provincial parties, who lost four seats among them. The Justicialists, which had enjoyed a majority in the Senate since the return of democracy in 1983, gained one seat, and the Alliance, benefiting from the popular election of Senators despite the political climate, actually gained three. Growing disunity in the Alliance was reflected by UCR Senators elected on the UCR ticket itself in Chubut
, Córdoba
, Formosa
, Santiago del Estero
, and Tierra del Fuego
.
The elections were seen as a rebuke for President de la Rúa and his handling of the economic crisis, which was now in its fourth year of recession
. The Justicialists (Peronists), which gained 22 seats in the Lower House, benefited from being the leading party in opposition, as did their 1999 presidential nominee, Eduardo Duhalde
, who was elected Senator for Buenos Aires Province
, and theoretically emerged as the front-runner for the next presidential campaign in 2003.
Despite the compulsory nature of the elections, a larger than usual percentage of citizens (25 %) did not turn out to vote, and many resorted to a protest vote
, with blank as well as spoiled or defaced ballots (the so-called voto bronca, "anger vote") amounting to nearly 4.5 million, or 24 % of the total. De la Rúa's term was ultimately cut short by his resignation amid the December 2001 riots
.
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 Sunday, 14 October 2001. Turnout was 75.6% and the results were as follows:
Chamber of DeputiesArgentine Chamber of DeputiesThe Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress. This Chamber holds exclusive rights to create taxes, to draft troops, and to accuse the President, the ministers and the members of the Supreme Court before the Senate....
| Party/Electoral Alliance | 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... |
121 | 35.8% |
| 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... Broad Front Frepaso |
65 8 7 |
|
| 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... |
80 | 22.6% |
| ARI | 16 | 7.4% |
| Front for Change Front for Change The Front for Change/Social Pole is a progressive political party in Argentina.At the 2005 legislative elections, sections of the party joined the Encuentro Amplio with other left-wing parties in Buenos Aires and Buenos Aires Province. The coalition did badly and lost its existing national... |
4 | 4.1% |
| 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... |
4 | 1.1% |
| Democratic Progressive Party Democratic Progressive Party (Argentina) The Democratic Progressive Party is a provincial political party in Santa Fe, Argentina. It was founded by Lisandro de la Torre at the Savoy Hotel in Buenos Aires on December 14, 1914. One of its founders was the academic Dr... |
4 | 0.8% |
| Neuquén People's Movement | 3 | 0.4% |
| Federalist Unity | 2 | 2.1% |
| Self-determination and Freedom Self-determination and Freedom The Self-determination and Freedom is a leftist political party in Argentina, with Luis Zamora as its most prominent member.... |
2 | 1.0% |
| Others | 21 | 24.7% |
| Invalid votes | 24.0% | |
| Total seats | 257 |
SenateArgentine SenateThe Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires...
| Party/alliance | Seats | Vote percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Justicialist Party | 40 | 31.3% |
| Frepaso UCR |
19 6 |
17.7% 3.5% |
| Alliance | 25 | 21.2% |
| Neuquén People's Movement | 2 | 0.4% |
| ARI | 1 | 4.9% |
| Front for Everyone Front for Everyone The Front for Everyone is a provincial political party alliance based in Chaco and Corrientes Provinces, Argentina.The front is made up of members of the Radical Civic Union and most supporters of the Justicialist Party... (Corrientes Province Corrientes Province Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:... ) |
1 | 2.5% |
| Republican Force | 1 | 0.7% |
| Salta Renewal Party Salta Renewal Party The Salta Renewal Party is a provincial political party in Salta Province, Argentina.The party is a federalist party, believing in strong and renewed provinces with power decentralised from Buenos Aires. It is a member of the national Recrear electoral alliance led by Ricardo López Murphy.The... |
1 | 0.6% |
| Front with Everyone (La Rioja Province La Rioja Province (Argentina) La Rioja is a one of the provinces of Argentina and is located in the west of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Catamarca, Córdoba, San Luis and San Juan.-History:... ) |
1 | 0.3% |
| Others | - | 38.1% |
| Invalid votes | 22.6% | |
| Total seats | 72 |
Background
The opposition Justicialist PartyJusticialist 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...
took control of both houses of the National Congress
Argentine National Congress
The Congress of the Argentine Nation is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Its composition is bicameral, constituted by a 72-seat Senate and a 257-seat Chamber of Deputies....
, severely limiting the power of the administration of the 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...
-FrePaSo party alliance led by President
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa is an Argentine politician. He was president of the country from December 10, 1999 to December 21, 2001 for the Alliance for Work, Justice and Education ....
, which lost 26 seats. The Argentine Senate
Argentine Senate
The Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires...
faced its first elections since 1995, and per an agreement crafted following the 1994 reform of the Argentine Constitution
1994 reform of the Argentine Constitution
The 1994 amendment to the Constitution of Argentina was approved on 22 August by a Constitutional Assembly that met in the twin cities of Santa Fe and Paraná...
, all 72 seats would be renewed, and elected Senators would serve for two, four, or six-years in their first term afterwards. Senators, save for the City of Buenos Aires, had been elected by their respective provincial legislatures, and would now be popularly elected.
The change cost provincial parties, who lost four seats among them. The Justicialists, which had enjoyed a majority in the Senate since the return of democracy in 1983, gained one seat, and the Alliance, benefiting from the popular election of Senators despite the political climate, actually gained three. Growing disunity in the Alliance was reflected by UCR Senators elected on the UCR ticket itself in Chubut
Chubut Province
Chubut a province in the southern part of Argentina situated between the 42nd parallel south and the 46th parallel south , the Andes range separating Argentina from Chile, and the Atlantic ocean...
, 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...
, Formosa
Formosa Province
Formosa Province is in northeastern Argentina, part of the Gran Chaco Region. Its northeast end touches Asunción, Paraguay, and borders the provinces of Chaco and Salta to its south and west, respectively...
, Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 244,733 inhabitants, making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a surface area of 2,116 km². It lies on the Dulce River and on National Route 9, at a distance of...
, and Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego Province
Tierra del Fuego Province may refer to:*Tierra del Fuego Province, Chile*Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands Province, Argentina...
.
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
. The Justicialists (Peronists), which gained 22 seats in the Lower House, benefited from being the leading party in opposition, as did their 1999 presidential nominee, Eduardo Duhalde
Eduardo Duhalde
-External links:...
, who was elected Senator for Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, and theoretically emerged as the front-runner for the next presidential campaign in 2003.
Despite the compulsory nature of the elections, a larger than usual percentage of citizens (25 %) did not turn out to vote, and many resorted to a protest vote
Protest vote
A protest vote is a vote cast in an election to demonstrate the caster's unhappiness with the choice of candidates or refusal of the current political system...
, with blank as well as spoiled or defaced ballots (the so-called voto bronca, "anger vote") amounting to nearly 4.5 million, or 24 % of the total. De la Rúa's term was ultimately cut short by his resignation amid the December 2001 riots
December 2001 riots (Argentina)
The December 2001 uprising was a period of civil unrest and rioting in Argentina, which took place during December 2001, with the most violent incidents taking place on December 19 and December 20 in the capital, Buenos Aires, Rosario and other large cities around the country.- Background :The...
.
External links
- Election results and maps - Atlas Electoral de Andy Tow
- National Electoral Direction - Ministry of Interior of Argentina.