BUENOS AIRES — Argentines cast their ballot on Sunday to pick the successor to President Cristina Fernandez, a polarizing leader who dominated national politics for 12 years.
Inflation is around 30 percent, the economy is stagnant and a bitter court fight with a group of creditors in the U.S. has scared off investors and kept Argentinaon the margins of international credit markets.
But the country is stable compared to the financial collapse of 2001-2002, when the country defaulted on 100 billion US dollars in debt and overnight millions of middle class people were impoverished.
Daniel Scioli, the governor of the Buenos Aires province and a former vice president, is the chosen successor to Fernandez, who is the most influential politician in Argentina, with an approval rating of around 50 percent.
The lead opposition candidate is Mauricio Macri, the Buenos Aires mayor, who has presented himself as the candidate to put Argentina‘s economy in order, promising to make a deal with the U.S. creditors that Fernandez blasts as “vultures” and lift unpopular currency restrictions.
To win, a candidate needs 45 percent of the votes, or 40 percent and at least a 10-point advantage over the nearest competitor.
This video was produced exclusively for Associated Press on October 25, 2015. Click here to watch it.
