Due to polarization, Massa lost votes because of his half-measures, but the FIT, by being the left-pole opposition to Macri, and more to the left than Cristina [Kirchner], increased its votes. It channeled the votes of the Nuevo Mas and MST, and also part of Kirchneristas’ votes that opened their eyes regarding the role of unions and before Santiago Maldonado’s appearance.
By PSTU – Argentina
The FIT got 1.2 million votes across the country. This means an important growth regarding the PASO [primaries]. Nicolás del Caño [PTS] and Romina del Pla [PO] reached the Congress with 5.33% in Buenos Aires, together with Nathalia González Seligra [PTS] who is already in the Congress. Guillermo Kane [PO] was ellected legislator for the Third Electoral Section. The FIT also got two spots in the Buenos Aires City Council, for Myriam Bergman [PTS] and Gabriel Solano [PO].
In Jujuy, the worker Alejandro Vilca [PTS] got over 18% entering the Province Council, together with 3 more deputies and 5 Councillors including the city and the countryside.
In Neuquén City, Patricia Jure [PO] was elected to the Deliberative Council. In Salta, Claudio del Pla [PO] was elected deputy for the province, together with two Councillors.
A necessary debate
From the PSTU, we applaud this results, because we were part of the giant militant effort that it meant to fight against all bosses’ alternatives. Unlike Cambiemos, 1Pais, or the UC, the FIT is not supported by private companies, it relies on the militancy of those that supported the list.
We think that to achieve parliamentary spots is an important step forward, but as we have said before, this elected candidates will only serve the struggles and to confront Macri and the Congress full of corrupt ones if the PO, the PTS, and IS [Izquierda Socialista] correct their policy. The campaign of the main FIT parties was focused in asking for the vote, promising that with more deputies we would solve the workers’ problems. In Nicolás del Caño’s words: “We want more FIT deputies to impose a favorable solution to the working people’s demands and needs.” We think that this is wrong, as we have expressed in previous articles.
The deputies and councilors of the FIT have the obligation of denouncing the Congress and Deliberative Councils as what they are: a cave for the corrupt ones. The Parliament is one more tentacle of the Bourgeois State, not a workers’ organization, and nothing good can come out of it. Our duty is to denounce it for what it is, and to present Bill Projects opposed to the bourgeois parties’. Before the workers’ and people’s trust in the Congress, the PO, the PTS, and IS have the obligation of explaining that it’s wrong, and to dissolve such trust through this explanation and permanent denounces, while strengthening the confidence in struggles and an independent workers’ organization. They cannot vote a Bill Project of the PRO once again like they did with the 2×1.[1]
Before the need of building an alternative in the struggles to defeat Macri, the FIT must end its sectarian position before thousands of honest activists who call themselves Kirchneristas and Peronistas. Behind this sectarianism, there is electoral opportunism. They do not want to mobilize the workers organized in the CGT, like it was on March 7th, but they vote with the PRO and the Kircherismo in the Congres…
It is not enough to gather the activism that follows the left parties –something they were not even capable of doing- but we need to face the construction of a United Workers’ Front with all those working organizations, be them Peronistas, Kirchneristas, etc., who are willing to organize to confront Macri’s government. We need the broadest unity of all those who want to confront the government’s anti-popular and repressive measures. It is like this that we will forge the construction of a truly revolutionary alternative that fights for a workers’ and people’s government.
**
Notes:
[1] The 2×1 grants early release from prison or reduction of the sentence for genocides of the military dictatorship. The measure, proposed by Macri’s government, had the support vote of the FIT deputies. [T.N.]
