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| Argentine leader eyes poll loss | |
| (about 18 hours later) | |
| Early partial results in Argentina's mid-term legislative elections suggest President Cristina Fernandez's party has lost seats in Congress. | |
| The results suggest the ruling Peronist party could lose its majority in at least one chamber. | |
| Cristina Fernandez succeeded husband Nestor Kirchner as president in 2007 - but has seen her popularity fall along with the country's economy. | |
| The polls are seen as a referendum on the presidential couple's popularity. | |
| Mr Kirchner is standing for a congressional seat in Buenos Aires province. | |
| But with 27% of votes there counted, he was trailing rival Francisco De Narvaez by 31.9% to 35.0%. | |
| The BBC's Candace Piette, who is in Buenos Aires, says the loss of the province, which has always been a Peronist heartland, could signal a huge political defeat for the Kirchners. | |
| Exit polls suggested the Peronist party could lose its majority in the 256-seat lower house and struggle to retain the 72-seat Senate. | |
| Economic woes More than 28 million people were eligible to vote. | |
| ARGENTINE MID-TERM ELECTIONS Brought forward from 25 October to 28 JuneHalf of the 256 Chamber of Deputies seats at stake: four-year termThird of the 72-seat Senate being chosen: six-year term Poll test for power couple | ARGENTINE MID-TERM ELECTIONS Brought forward from 25 October to 28 JuneHalf of the 256 Chamber of Deputies seats at stake: four-year termThird of the 72-seat Senate being chosen: six-year term Poll test for power couple |
| The elections took place against a backdrop of deep economic problems, and amid complaints of government incompetence, our correspondent says. | |
| Official figures, long contested, put inflation at around 5% while private analysts says the annual inflation rate is at least 15%. | Official figures, long contested, put inflation at around 5% while private analysts says the annual inflation rate is at least 15%. |
| Consumer spending has slumped, and crime and poverty are more visible. | Consumer spending has slumped, and crime and poverty are more visible. |
| Many Argentines have been shifting their savings into dollars and sending it offshore, uncertain of the government's ability to deal with their economic woes, our correspondent says. | Many Argentines have been shifting their savings into dollars and sending it offshore, uncertain of the government's ability to deal with their economic woes, our correspondent says. |
| A damaging row between the Kirchners and the country's powerful agricultural sector over taxation has added to people's concerns, she adds. | A damaging row between the Kirchners and the country's powerful agricultural sector over taxation has added to people's concerns, she adds. |
| Mr Kirchner - who was president between 2003 and 2007 - is still widely considered to be the main power-broker behind his wife's administration. | Mr Kirchner - who was president between 2003 and 2007 - is still widely considered to be the main power-broker behind his wife's administration. |