Fri Mar 29, 2024
March 29, 2024

Great result for the Workers and Left Front in the primary election

The Workers and Left Front – FIT – has just performed a great primary election in the country reaching 730,000 votes, surpassing by almost 50% the previous presidential primaries (2011). With this momentum, it comes into the October race, in fact, as the fourth political force in the country.

 With large parts of the country flooded, the government won the last primary elections. Headed by Daniel Scioli, the Front for Victory got 38% of the votes and won in 20 out of the 24 provinces of the country, although it has not yet secured the win in the presidential elections in October. Meanwhile, Sergio Massa (Change) and Mauricio Macri (United for a New Alternative) were proclaimed in their internal elections and will run for the presidency, trying to to define the race in a second round.

We can’t expect nothing good from these Menenites [1] candidates, because beyond persisting in their attempts to install an election polarization, every day it becomes clearer that essentially all of them rule for banks and multinationals, and prepare a new step in the implementation of austerity plans after October.

However, the good news for workers and popular sectors is that the Workers and Left Front has made a great election. With a little more than 726,000 votes for the presidential candidate, the FIT has established itself as the main left political alternative in Argentina, which together reached about one million votes for their respective presidential hopes. Just keeping these results in the general election, the FIT will be contesting the possibility of new seats in Congress.

An internal primary that did any good

For the first time, two lists of presidential candidates were presented in the FIT internal caucus (which was held together with the primary election). In a very even internal election, the presidential list Caño-Bregman was surprisingly proclaimed winner with 51% votes. The overwhelming advantage obtained in Mendoza allowed it to get the win despite losing in the main electoral districts.

From the PSTU, we have argued from the beginning that it was a mistake to present different lists in an internal caucus to solve nominations problems. There has been a decline in the unity previously conquered, as the competition between the lists whose program is exactly the same consumed much time of the presidential primaries campaign. We had proposed alternative mechanisms in which the workers would elect their presidential nominee without falling into the trap of the primaries, but we were not heard.

A clear example of how “division means subtraction” is that the separated internal lists for congress candidates didn’t surpassed the ban barrier (1,5% of the total votes) of the primary elections in Catamarca, La Pampa, Misiones, San Juan, San Luis and Santiago del Estero. But centrally they weakened the unitary political campaign against the austerity candidates and for a working class and people alternative. Undoubtedly this infighting has weakened the working class struggle and an opportunity to enhancing the good result obtained was lost.

For a united campaign of the FIT to organize the fight against austerity

The great task that was made clear from Sunday’s results is to leave behind the divisions and build a strong united political campaign against austerity in October. We must urgently call on all parties, trade unions, students, leaders and personalities that support the FIT’s program for a meeting to start planning a militant campaign in a unified manner to serve the workers’ and people’s struggles against austerity. Leaving behind the fight for internal hegemonism is necessary to multiply our forces and reach every factory, every school, every workplace with this campaign and organize to face the attacks that will grow, whoever wins the election.

Go with the Workers and Left Front!

Go against government and bosses austerity!

For a workers and people way out!

__________________________

Notes:

[1] – Supporters of the former president Menen, that means right-wing Peronists

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