March 1973 Argentine general election

The first Argentine general election of 1973 was held on 11 March. Voters chose both the President and their legislators.

March 1973 Argentine general election

Presidential election
11 March 1973
 
Nominee Héctor Cámpora Ricardo Balbín
Party Justicialist Party Radical Civic Union
Alliance Justicialist Liberation Front
Running mate Vicente Solano Lima Eduardo Gamond
States carried 23 + CABA 0
Popular vote 5,899,642 2,535,581
Percentage 49.53% 21.29%

 
Nominee Francisco Manrique Oscar Alende
Party Federal Party Popular Revolutionary Alliance
Alliance Federalist Popular Alliance
Running mate Rafael Martínez Raymonda Horacio Sueldo
States carried 0 0
Popular vote 1,775,767 885,274
Percentage 14.91% 7.43%

Most voted party by province.

President before election

Alejandro Lanusse
none (de facto regime)

Elected President

Héctor Cámpora
Justicialist Party

Legislative election
11 March 1973 (first round)
15 April 1973 (second round)

243 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
69 seats in the Senate
Turnout85.55%
Party % Seats
Chamber of Deputies
Justicialist Liberation Front 49.11% 146
Radical Civic Union 20.33% 51
Federalist Popular Alliance 11.51% 20
Popular Revolutionary Alliance 6.67% 12
Federal Republican Alliance 3.50% 10
Others 8.88% 4
Senate
Justicialist Liberation Front  % 45
Radical Civic Union  % 12
Federalist Popular Alliance  % 5
Federal Republican Alliance  % 4
Others  % 3
Chamber of Deputies results by province

Background

UCR leader Ricardo Balbín and Juan Perón, who again, in exile, became the central issue of the 1973 campaign.

The 1966 coup d'état against the moderate President Arturo Illia was carried out largely as a reaction to Illia's decision to honor local and legislative elections in which Peronists, officially banned from political activity following the violent overthrow of President Juan Perón in 1955, did well. Five years later, however, President Alejandro Lanusse found himself heading an unpopular junta, saddled by increasing political violence and an economic wind-down from the prosperous 1960s. Seizing the initiative, he gathered leaders from across the nation's political and intellectual spectrum for a July 1971 asado, a time-honored Argentine custom as much about camaraderie as about steak.

The result was Lanusse's "Great National Agreement," a road map to the return to democratic rule, including Peronists (the first such concession the military had made since Perón's 1955 exile). The agreement, however, bore little resemblance to what had been discussed and, instead, proposed virtual veto power for the armed forces over most future domestic and foreign policy. This patently unacceptable condition led most political figures to dismiss the much-touted event as the "Great National Asado," instead.

A year later, President Lanusse made the much-anticipated announcement: elections would be held, nationally, on March 11, 1973. Retaliating for Perón's unequivocal rejection of the 1971 accords, Lanusse limited the field of candidates to those residing in Argentina as of August 25, 1972 - a clear denial of the aging Perón the right to run on his own party's ticket (the likely winners). Perón did return to Argentina, however, on November 17, when, during a month-long stay, he secured the endorsement of prominent figures such as former President Arturo Frondizi of the Integration and Development Movement, Jorge Abelardo Ramos of the Popular Leftist Front (FIP), Popular Conservative Alberto Fonrouge, Christian Democrat Carlos Imbaud, and other, mainly provincial parties. These diverse parties signed on to an umbrella ticket, led by the Justicialist Party and Perón's personal representative in Argentina, Héctor Cámpora. Partly in recognition for their support and to provide a counter-weight to the left-leaning Cámpora, Perón had the Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) nominate for Vice President Popular Conservative leader Vicente Solano Lima, a newspaper publisher respected across most of Argentina's vastly diverse political spectrum.

Given little time to campaign by the calculating Lanusse (who fielded his own candidate, Brigadier General Ezequiel Martínez, for his ad hoc Federal Republican Alliance), the nation's myriad parties jockeyed for alliances and rushed to name candidates. The main opposition, the centrist Radical Civic Union (UCR), put forth their 1958 nominee, former Congressman Ricardo Balbín (head of the party's more conservative wing). Hoping to carry the mantle of those supporting Lanusse, Social Policy Minister Francisco Manrique ran on the Federalist ticket and Américo Ghioldi, who had led a split in the Socialist Party in 1958, ran on his Democratic Socialist slate - refusing (as the traditional Socialists had done) to endorse the Popular Revolutionary Alliance headed by former Governor Oscar Alende (the runner-up in the 1963 election).

The March 11 polls went smoothly and the FREJULI, which needed 50% of the total to avoid a runoff as per Lanusse's agreement, garnered 49.6%. The irony of the result, which came despite a 28% margin over the runners-up (the UCR), led the seasoned Balbín to petition President Lanusse for a waiver of the rule, something he granted, making the FREJULI alliance the winners of the March 11, 1973, election and paving the way for the definitive return of Juan Perón, whom Lanusse, many years later, would admit to being his "life's obsession."[1]

Candidates

Results

President

Presidential
candidate
Vice Presidential
candidate
Party Votes %
Héctor José Cámpora Vicente Solano Lima Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) 5,899,642 49.53
Ricardo Balbín Eduardo Gamond Radical Civic Union (UCR) 2,535,581 21.29
Francisco Manrique Rafael Martínez Raymonda Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) 1,775,767 14.91
Oscar Alende Horacio Sueldo Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APR) 885,274 7.43
Ezequiel Martínez Leopoldo Bravo Federal Republican Alliance (ARF) 347,262 2.92
Julio Chamizo Raúl Ondarts New Force (NF) 235,188 1.97
Américo Ghioldi René Balestra Democratic Socialist Party (PSD) 109,068 0.92
Juan Carlos Coral Nora Ciapponi Worker's Socialist Party (PST) 73,799 0.62
Jorge Abelardo Ramos José Silvetti Popular Left Front (FIP) 48,571 0.41
Total 11,910,152 100
Positive votes 11,910,152 97.30
Blank votes 279,855 2.29
Invalid votes 50,905 0.42
Total votes 12,240,912 100
Registered voters/turnout 14,256,991 85.86
Source:[2]

Chamber of Deputies

Party Votes  % Seats
Total Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) 5,864,683 49.11 146
Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) 4,637,232 38.83 110
Integration and Development Movement (MID) 670,183 5.61 15
Justicialist Party (PJ) 529,487 4.43 20
Renewal Crusade 27,781 0.23 1
Radical Civic Union (UCR) 2,427,130 20.33 51
Total Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) 1,374,504 11.51 20
Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) 964,403 8.08 14
Democratic Progressive Party (PDP) 144,078 1.21
Popular Union (UP) 114,194 0.96
Federal Vanguard 70,706 0.59 2
Jujuy Popular Movement (MPJ) 32,376 0.27 1
La Pampa Federalist Movement (MOFEPA) 32,186 0.27 2
Catamarca Popular Movement 16,561 0.14 1
Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APR) 796,705 6.67 12
Total Federal Republican Alliance (ARF) 418,274 3.50 10
Federal Republican Alliance (ARF) 115,238 0.97
Democratic Party of Mendoza (PD) 104,312 0.87 2
Liberal - Autonomist Pact 93,958 0.79 3
Blockist Party (PB) 70,801 0.59 3
Río Negro Provincial Party (PPR) 19,555 0.16 1
Provincial Popular Movement 14,410 0.12 1
Salta People's Movement 30,891 0.26 1
Neuquén People's Movement (MPN) 28,898 0.24 2
Chubut Action Party (PACh) 11,976 0.10 1
Others 988,322 8.28
Total 11,941,383 100 243
Positive votes 11,941,383 97.60
Blank votes 260,830 2.13
Invalid votes 33,023 0.27
Total votes 12,235,236 100
Registered voters/turnout 14,302,497 85.55
Source:[3]

Senate

Party First round Second round Total seats
Votes % Seats Votes % Seats
Total Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) 17 28 45
Justicialist Liberation Front (FREJULI) 11 21 32
Integration and Development Movement (MID) 3 3
Justicialist Party (PJ) 6 4 10
Renewal Crusade
Radical Civic Union (UCR) 4 8 12
Total Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) 3 2 5
Federalist Popular Alliance (APF) 1 1
Democratic Progressive Party (PDP)
Popular Union (UP)
Federal Vanguard 1 1
Jujuy Popular Movement (MPJ) 1 1
La Pampa Federalist Movement (MOFEPA) 1 1
Catamarca Popular Movement 1 1
Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APR)
Total Federal Republican Alliance (ARF) 4 4
Federal Republican Alliance (ARF)
Democratic Party of Mendoza (PD) 1 1
Liberal - Autonomist Pact 1 1
Blockist Party (PB) 1 1
Río Negro Provincial Party (PPR)
Provincial Popular Movement 1 1
Salta People's Movement 1 1
Neuquén People's Movement (MPN) 2 2
Chubut Action Party (PACh)
Others
Total 27 42 69
Positive votes
Blank votes
Invalid votes
Total votes 100 100
Registered voters/turnout

Provincial Governors

Election of Provincial Governors
Elected: 22 provincial governors
Province Elected Party Map
Buenos Aires Oscar Bidegain Justicialist Liberation Front
Catamarca Hugo Alberto Mott Justicialist Liberation Front
Chaco Deolindo Bittel Justicialist Liberation Front
Chubut Benito Fernández Justicialist Liberation Front
Córdoba Ricardo Obregón Cano Justicialist Liberation Front
Corrientes Julio Romero Justicialist Liberation Front
Entre Ríos Enrique Tomás Cresto Justicialist Liberation Front
Formosa Antenor Argentino Gauna Justicialist Liberation Front
Jujuy Carlos Snopek Justicialist Liberation Front
La Pampa Aquiles José Regazzoli Justicialist Liberation Front
La Rioja Carlos Menem Justicialist Liberation Front
Mendoza Alberto Martínez Baca Justicialist Liberation Front
Misiones Juan Manuel Irrazábal Justicialist Liberation Front
Neuquén Felipe Sapag Neuquén People's Movement
Río Negro Mario José Franco Justicialist Liberation Front
Salta Miguel Ragone Justicialist Liberation Front
San Juan Eloy Camus Justicialist Liberation Front
San Luis Elías Adre Justicialist Liberation Front
Santa Cruz Jorge Cepernic Justicialist Liberation Front
Santa Fe Carlos Sylvestre Begnis Integration and Development Movement
Santiago del Estero Carlos Juárez Justicialist Liberation Front
Tucumán Amado Juri Justicialist Liberation Front

References

  1. Clarín. 11 March 1993.
  2. Elecciones (PDF). Estudios e Investigaciones Nº7. Vol. I. Dirección de Información Parlamentaria del Congreso de la Nación. April 1993. p. 227. ISBN 950-685-009-7.
  3. Elecciones (PDF). Estudios e Investigaciones Nº7. Vol. I. Dirección de Información Parlamentaria del Congreso de la Nación. April 1993. p. 229.
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