Argentinian polls show strong lead for Daniel Scioli

The Argentinian ruling party’s candidate, Daniel Scioli, is primed to win the presidential election outright on October 25th, with a commanding lead over his nearest rivals, two polls published in local papers yesterday showed.

To win outright in the first round, and avoid a run-off election, a candidate requires 45 per cent of valid votes or 40 per cent and a 10-point lead over their nearest rival.

Scioli, a moderate Peronist from left-wing president Cristina Fernandez’s Front for Victory Party, is set to garner 42 per cent of votes, according to a poll published in Perfil.

His closest rival, Mauricio Macri, the centre-right mayor of Buenos Aires, is seen getting 28 per cent of the vote, according to the poll.

Similarly, Mr Scioli is seen obtaining around 41 per cent and Mr Macri a little over 28 per cent, in a Ceop poll released in newspaper Página 12.

The polls said Sergio Massa, who defected from the ruling party in 2013, would receive 23 and 22 per cent respectively.

Mr Scioli, who owes much of his support to Fernandez loyalists, is promising pro-business policies to spur growth and has made attracting new investment to Argentina a pillar of his campaign. – (Reuters)