Argentine general election, 1963
Encyclopedia
The Argentine general election of 1963 was held on 7 July. Voters chose both the President and their legislators and with a turnout of 85.6%, it produced the following results:
aAbstentions.
Argentine Chamber of Deputies
Electoral system: Proportional representation by districts according to the D'Hondt method. Seats are divided among those lists of candidates from parties or electoral alliances that obtain at least 3% of the electoral census or working electoral of the district.
in 1958 became reality following his coerced March 29, 1962 resignation. His UCRI candidates had done well; but the evening's big surprise, Andrés Framini
's election as Governor of Buenos Aires Province
(one of ten Peronists to win gubernatorial polls that night) proved unacceptable to the armed forces. An array of political leaders had been lobbying the military against Frondizi, as well: centrist Radical Civic Union
leader Ricardo Balbín
(whom Frondizi defeated on a splinter ticket in 1958) and conservative economist Álvaro Alsogaray
(whom Frondizi sidestepped in favor of pro-industry economist Rogelio Frigerio
) both openly celebrated the president's unceremonious exit.
The matter of Frondizi's successor, itself, became a subject of contention within the armed forces. The two opposing camps defined themselves as either "Blues" (at pains to maintain a patina of legality over the destabilizing intervention) or "Reds" (lacking any compunction against imposing a prolonged and repressive dictatorship). The stalemate lasted merely a day because most of the Army
High Command were "Blues," whose preference of a "legal" solution to the vacuum was supported by most of the press and the Argentine public, then enjoying Latin America's widest access to the media
. Relying on constitutional guidelines
, they named the reluctant Senate
President José María Guido
Head of State.
Guido, a moderate senator from then-remote Río Negro Province
, had been elected on Frondizi's 's UCRI ticket. His prompt resignation from the UCRI and annulment of the March 18 mid-term elections did not immediately dispel the threat of a coup attempt, however, and mutinies in April and August resulted in the appointment of Army General Juan Carlos Onganía
(who successfully rebelled against his "Red" superiors) as Head of the Military Joint Chiefs. The more stable military panorama was overshadowed by economic worries. Following a brief period of robust growth led by industrial production, President Guido's economic team, led by Álvaro Alsogaray
, imposed a fresh devaluation
and austerity measures such as strict credit controls and even the payment of state salaries with nearly-worthless bonds. GDP fell by 4% in 1962-63 and unemployment rose to nearly 9%.
The Radical Civic Union
(UCR) was again divided between the Intransigent (UCRI) and more conservative Popular (UCRP) factions as they convened in March 1963. The UCRP nominated former Córdoba Province
Vice-Governor Arturo Illia, a country doctor fondly remembered for his work in the Public Health Committee in Congress
. The UCRI, as they had done in 1958, hoped to secure the exiled Juan Perón
's endorsement who, from Madrid
, still directly controlled a fifth of the Argentine electorate. Against opposition by former Buenos Aires Governor Oscar Alende
, Frondizi and Perón agreed on a "National Popular Front," fielding a respected, moderately conservative publisher as the nominee, Vicente Solano Lima
. Tricked by a similar move in 1958, the military objected, however, leading to a brutal, April 2, 1963 mutiny at a naval base that cost 24 lives.
Opposed by most conservatives, these incidents led former President Pedro Aramburu run on his UDELPA ticket, thus hoping to provide those most likely to support military rule a suitable, center-right choice. He was also endorsed by the more moderate Democratic Progressive Party
. Making fears of Perón's return his battle-horse, Aramburu's slogan was unequivocal: Vote UDELPA...and HE won't return! Bereft of a choice himself, Perón, though the CGT
labor union, instructed his followers to cast blank ballots. The likely winners, the UCRI, were hamstrung by Frondizi's open enmity against Governor Alende's rejection of his aborted Front and the combination of these factors led to a victory for Dr. Arturo Illia and the UCRP.
As in 1958, the participation of Peronist candidates was forbidden, resulting in the highest percentage of blank votes in Argentina's electoral history.
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President
| Party/Electoral Alliance | Votes | Percentage | Electoral College |
|---|---|---|---|
| People's Radical Civic Union Radical Civic Union The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina... (UCR-P) |
2,441,064 | 25.2% | 270 |
| Intransigent Radical Civic Union Intransigent Radical Civic Union The Intransigent Radical Civic Union or UCRI is a defunct political party of Argentina.The UCRI developed from the centrist Radical Civic Union in 1956, following a split at the party's convention in Tucumán... (UCRI) |
1,593,002 | 16.4% | 86 |
| UDELPA Democratic Progressive Party Democratic Progressive Party (Argentina) The Democratic Progressive Party is a provincial political party in Santa Fe, Argentina. It was founded by Lisandro de la Torre at the Savoy Hotel in Buenos Aires on December 14, 1914. One of its founders was the academic Dr... |
726,861 619,481 |
7.5% 6.4% |
|
| UDELPA-PDP alliance | 1,346,342 | 13.9% | 74 |
| Federation of Centrist Parties | 499,822 | 5.1% | 11 |
| Christian Democratic Party Christian Democratic Party (Argentina) The Christian Democratic Party is a Christian Democrat political party in Argentina.The Party was founded in 1954 after several other organisations had been active promoting Christian democracy in Argentina. Leading activists in its early years included José Allende and Horacio Sueldo... |
434,823 | 4.5% | |
| Socialist Party | 278,856 | 2.9% | 12 |
| Democratic Socialist Party Democratic Socialist Party (Argentina) The Democratic Socialist Party was a political party in Argentina formed in 1959 as a division of the Socialist Party.The most important figure of the PSD was Alfredo Bravo, a teacher and civil rights activist, which was a deputy and the presidential candidate of the Socialist Party in the 2003... |
258,787 | 2.7% | |
| Democratic Party Democratic Party (Mendoza) The Democratic Party of Mendoza is a provincial conservative party in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It was founded around 1930.Since the return of the democracy in 1983, the party has been the third political force in Mendoza, except in 1999 when it won the second position in the elections.It is a... |
185,861 | 1.9% | |
| Others | 613,824 | 6.3% | 8 |
| Positive votes | 7,651,985 | 78.8% | 461 |
| Blank and nullified votes | 2,058,131 | 21.2% | 15a |
| Total voters | 9,710,116 | 100.0% | 476 |
Argentine Chamber of DeputiesArgentine Chamber of DeputiesThe Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress. This Chamber holds exclusive rights to create taxes, to draft troops, and to accuse the President, the ministers and the members of the Supreme Court before the Senate....
| Party/Electoral Alliance | Seats | % of votes |
|---|---|---|
| UCR-P Radical Civic Union The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina... |
73 | 28.5% |
| UCRI | 40 | 16.4% |
| UDELPA | 14 | 7.5% |
| PDP Democratic Progressive Party (Argentina) The Democratic Progressive Party is a provincial political party in Santa Fe, Argentina. It was founded by Lisandro de la Torre at the Savoy Hotel in Buenos Aires on December 14, 1914. One of its founders was the academic Dr... |
12 | 6.4% |
| Christian Democratic Christian Democratic Party (Argentina) The Christian Democratic Party is a Christian Democrat political party in Argentina.The Party was founded in 1954 after several other organisations had been active promoting Christian democracy in Argentina. Leading activists in its early years included José Allende and Horacio Sueldo... |
7 | 4.5% |
| Socialist | 6 | 2.9% |
| Democratic Socialist Democratic Socialist Party (Argentina) The Democratic Socialist Party was a political party in Argentina formed in 1959 as a division of the Socialist Party.The most important figure of the PSD was Alfredo Bravo, a teacher and civil rights activist, which was a deputy and the presidential candidate of the Socialist Party in the 2003... |
5 | 2.7% |
| Democratic Democratic Party (Mendoza) The Democratic Party of Mendoza is a provincial conservative party in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It was founded around 1930.Since the return of the democracy in 1983, the party has been the third political force in Mendoza, except in 1999 when it won the second position in the elections.It is a... (Mendoza Province Mendoza Province The Province of Mendoza is a province of Argentina, located in the western central part of the country in the Cuyo region. It borders to the north with San Juan, the south with La Pampa and Neuquén, the east with San Luis, and to the west with the republic of Chile; the international limit is... ) |
4 | 1.9% |
| Others | 31 | 8.0% |
| Invalid votes | 21.2% | |
| Total | 192 | 100.0% |
Electoral system: Proportional representation by districts according to the D'Hondt method. Seats are divided among those lists of candidates from parties or electoral alliances that obtain at least 3% of the electoral census or working electoral of the district.
Background
The spectre of military intervention so much in evidence after the election of Arturo FrondiziArturo Frondizi
Arturo Frondizi Ercoli was the President of Argentina between May 1, 1958, and March 29, 1962, for the Intransigent Radical Civic Union.-Early life:Frondizi was born in Paso de los Libres, Corrientes Province...
in 1958 became reality following his coerced March 29, 1962 resignation. His UCRI candidates had done well; but the evening's big surprise, Andrés Framini
Andrés Framini
Andrés Framini was an Argentine labor leader and politician.-Early career:Andrés Framini was born in the working-class La Plata suburb of Berisso, in 1914. He entered the labor force as a peon in one of Buenos Aires' many textile manufacturers, eventually working for the important Piccaluga...
's election as Governor of Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
(one of ten Peronists to win gubernatorial polls that night) proved unacceptable to the armed forces. An array of political leaders had been lobbying the military against Frondizi, as well: centrist Radical Civic Union
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
leader Ricardo Balbín
Ricardo Balbín
Ricardo Balbín was an Argentine lawyer and politician, and one of the most important figures of the centrist Radical Civic Union , for which he was the presidential nominee four times: in 1951, 1958, and twice in 1973....
(whom Frondizi defeated on a splinter ticket in 1958) and conservative economist Álvaro Alsogaray
Álvaro Alsogaray
Álvaro Carlos Alsogaray was an Argentine politician and businessman. Minister of Economy during much of the 1959-62 period, he was one of the principal proponents of economic conservatism in modern Argentina.-Early career:...
(whom Frondizi sidestepped in favor of pro-industry economist Rogelio Frigerio
Rogelio Frigerio
Rogelio Frigerio was an Argentine economist, journalist and politician.-Background and early career:Rogelio Frigerio was born in Buenos Aires in 1914 to Gerónimo Frigerio and Carmen Guanzaroli...
) both openly celebrated the president's unceremonious exit.
The matter of Frondizi's successor, itself, became a subject of contention within the armed forces. The two opposing camps defined themselves as either "Blues" (at pains to maintain a patina of legality over the destabilizing intervention) or "Reds" (lacking any compunction against imposing a prolonged and repressive dictatorship). The stalemate lasted merely a day because most of the Army
Argentine Army
The Argentine Army is the land armed force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of the country.- History :...
High Command were "Blues," whose preference of a "legal" solution to the vacuum was supported by most of the press and the Argentine public, then enjoying Latin America's widest access to the media
Communications in Argentina
Communications in Argentina gives an overview of the postal, telephone, Internet, radio, television, and newspaper services available in Argentina.-Postal:...
. Relying on constitutional guidelines
Constitution of Argentina
The constitution of Argentina is one of the primary sources of existing law in Argentina. Its first version was written in 1853 by a Constitutional Assembly gathered in Santa Fe, and the doctrinal basis was taken in part from the United States Constitution...
, they named the reluctant Senate
Argentine Senate
The Argentine Senate is the upper house of the Argentine National Congress. It has 72 senators: three for each province and three for the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires...
President José María Guido
José María Guido
José María Guido was an interim President of Argentina from 30 March 1962 to 12 October 1963.Guido was elected to the Argentine Senate for Río Negro Province in 1958, representing the Intransigent Radical Civic Union...
Head of State.
Guido, a moderate senator from then-remote Río Negro Province
Río Negro Province
Río Negro is a province of Argentina, located at the northern edge of Patagonia. Neighboring provinces are from the south clockwise Chubut, Neuquén, Mendoza, La Pampa and Buenos Aires. To the east lies the Atlantic Ocean.Its capital is Viedma...
, had been elected on Frondizi's 's UCRI ticket. His prompt resignation from the UCRI and annulment of the March 18 mid-term elections did not immediately dispel the threat of a coup attempt, however, and mutinies in April and August resulted in the appointment of Army General Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía
Juan Carlos Onganía Carballo was de facto president of Argentina from 29 June 1966 to 8 June 1970. He rose to power as military dictator after toppling, in a coup d’état self-named Revolución Argentina , the democratically elected president Arturo Illia .-Economic and social...
(who successfully rebelled against his "Red" superiors) as Head of the Military Joint Chiefs. The more stable military panorama was overshadowed by economic worries. Following a brief period of robust growth led by industrial production, President Guido's economic team, led by Álvaro Alsogaray
Álvaro Alsogaray
Álvaro Carlos Alsogaray was an Argentine politician and businessman. Minister of Economy during much of the 1959-62 period, he was one of the principal proponents of economic conservatism in modern Argentina.-Early career:...
, imposed a fresh devaluation
Historical exchange rates of Argentine currency
The following table contains the monthly historical exchange rate of the different currencies of Argentina, expressed in Argentine currency units per United States dollar...
and austerity measures such as strict credit controls and even the payment of state salaries with nearly-worthless bonds. GDP fell by 4% in 1962-63 and unemployment rose to nearly 9%.
The Radical Civic Union
Radical Civic Union
The Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
(UCR) was again divided between the Intransigent (UCRI) and more conservative Popular (UCRP) factions as they convened in March 1963. The UCRP nominated former Córdoba Province
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
Vice-Governor Arturo Illia, a country doctor fondly remembered for his work in the Public Health Committee in Congress
Argentine Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress. This Chamber holds exclusive rights to create taxes, to draft troops, and to accuse the President, the ministers and the members of the Supreme Court before the Senate....
. The UCRI, as they had done in 1958, hoped to secure the exiled Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
's endorsement who, from Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, still directly controlled a fifth of the Argentine electorate. Against opposition by former Buenos Aires Governor Oscar Alende
Oscar Alende
Oscar Eduardo Alende was an Argentine politician who founded the Intransigent Party.Alende was born in Maipú, Buenos Aires Province. He studied medicine at the University of La Plata, where he led the student union, and completed his medical studies at the University of Buenos Aires in 1933...
, Frondizi and Perón agreed on a "National Popular Front," fielding a respected, moderately conservative publisher as the nominee, Vicente Solano Lima
Vicente Solano Lima
Vicente Solano Lima was a moderately conservative newspaper publisher and politician who served as Vice President of Argentina from May 25, 1973 to July 13, 1973.-Life and times:...
. Tricked by a similar move in 1958, the military objected, however, leading to a brutal, April 2, 1963 mutiny at a naval base that cost 24 lives.
Opposed by most conservatives, these incidents led former President Pedro Aramburu run on his UDELPA ticket, thus hoping to provide those most likely to support military rule a suitable, center-right choice. He was also endorsed by the more moderate Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party (Argentina)
The Democratic Progressive Party is a provincial political party in Santa Fe, Argentina. It was founded by Lisandro de la Torre at the Savoy Hotel in Buenos Aires on December 14, 1914. One of its founders was the academic Dr...
. Making fears of Perón's return his battle-horse, Aramburu's slogan was unequivocal: Vote UDELPA...and HE won't return! Bereft of a choice himself, Perón, though the CGT
General Confederation of Labour (Argentina)
The General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic is a national trade union centre of Argentina founded on September 27, 1930, as the result of the merge of the USA and the COA trade union centres...
labor union, instructed his followers to cast blank ballots. The likely winners, the UCRI, were hamstrung by Frondizi's open enmity against Governor Alende's rejection of his aborted Front and the combination of these factors led to a victory for Dr. Arturo Illia and the UCRP.
As in 1958, the participation of Peronist candidates was forbidden, resulting in the highest percentage of blank votes in Argentina's electoral history.
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Candidates for President
- Radical Civic UnionRadical Civic UnionThe Radical Civic Union is a political party in Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from liberal to social democratic. The UCR is a member of the Socialist International. Founded in 1891 by radical liberals, it is the oldest political party active in Argentina...
(centrist): Former Deputy Arturo Umberto IlliaArturo Umberto IlliaArturo Umberto Illia was President of Argentina from October 12, 1963, to June 28, 1966, and a member of the centrist UCR.-Biography:Arturo Umberto Illia was born August 4, 1900 in Pergamino, Buenos Aires Province, to Emma Francesconi and Martín Illia, Italian Argentine immigrants from the...
of Córdoba - Intransigent Radical Civic UnionIntransigent PartyThe Intransigent Party is a political party in Argentina, founded in 1963 by Oscar Alende. Its membership came from the Intransigent Radical Civic Union , one of the two factions into which the Radical Civic Union had divided in 1956.The party has nationalist, populist, and center-left ideas...
(center-left): Former Governor Oscar AlendeOscar AlendeOscar Eduardo Alende was an Argentine politician who founded the Intransigent Party.Alende was born in Maipú, Buenos Aires Province. He studied medicine at the University of La Plata, where he led the student union, and completed his medical studies at the University of Buenos Aires in 1933...
of Buenos Aires - UDELPA (conservative): Former De Facto President Pedro Eugenio AramburuPedro Eugenio AramburuPedro Eugenio Aramburu Silveti was an Argentine Army General. Born in Río Cuarto, Córdoba on May 21, 1903. He was a major figure behind the military coup against Juan Perón in 1955. He became de facto president of Argentina from November 13, 1955 to May 1, 1958...
of Córdoba - Socialist PartySocialist Party (Argentina)The Socialist Party is a social-democratic political party in Argentina. The history of socialism in Argentina began in the 1890s, when a group of people, notably Juan B. Justo, expressed the need for a greater social focus....
: Former Senator Alfredo PalaciosAlfredo PalaciosAlfredo Lorenzo Palacios was an Argentine socialist politician.Palacios was born in Buenos Aires, and studied law at Universidad de Buenos Aires, after graduation he became a lawyer and taught at the university until becoming a dean.In 1902, he was elected to the Buenos Aires' legislature, and in...
of Buenos Aires - Christian Democratic PartyChristian Democratic Party (Argentina)The Christian Democratic Party is a Christian Democrat political party in Argentina.The Party was founded in 1954 after several other organisations had been active promoting Christian democracy in Argentina. Leading activists in its early years included José Allende and Horacio Sueldo...
(centrist): Former Deputy Horacio Sueldo of Buenos Aires