Conservative
opposition candidate Mauricio Macri has won Argentina's presidential election,
ending 12 years of leftist rule.
Macri promised that a
"marvellous" new era was starting for the country after he won
the run-off vote on Sunday.
"This is a historic
day, a change of era which is going to be marvellous," Macri told cheering
supporters after ruling party candidate Daniel Scioli conceded defeat.
Argentina's election
body said Macri had 53 percent of votes and Scioli had 47 percent with returns
in from three-quarters of polling stations.
Macri's win ends a political era dominated by Cristina
Fernandez de Kirchner and her late-husband Nestor Kirchner.
Meanwhile,
Daniel Schweimler, reporting from Scioli's headquarters, said supporters of the
ruling party "are finding it difficult to accept the defeat".
Neither candidate
achieved the 45 percent of votes needed to avoid a run-off in the first round
of the election held in October.
Scioli picked up 35
percent of the vote, with Macri a percentage point behind with 34 percent.
Macri had promised a
break from Kirchner's leftist economic policy, promising a more
business-friendly environment in the country, while Scioli prioritised policies
aimed at helping Argentina's poorest.
No comments:
Post a Comment