By DPA
Buenos Aires : Argentina’s First Lady Cristina Fernandez won the country’s presidency by a large margin, official results confirmed Monday.
With over 96 per cent of the polling stations computed, the centre-Left Fernandez obtained just under 45 percent of the vote. Christian Liberal Elisa Carrio came second with 23 percent of the ballots, followed by centrist Roberto Lavagna – a former finance minister – on close to 17 percent.
To avoid a run-off, the top candidate needed one of two results: at least 45 percent of the vote, or 40 percent with a lead of more than 10 percentage points above the second-place finisher.
Fernandez, 54, wife of outgoing President Nestor Kirchner (2003-2007), is set to become the first woman to be elected president of the South American country, and will join Chile’s Michelle Bachelet at the top level of South American politics.
“We have won by a large margin,” Fernandez said in a first reaction late Sunday.
“This, far from placing us in some position of privilege, on the contrary, places us in a position of greater responsibility and obligations,” the first lady added. Fernandez is to be sworn in president on Dec 10.