Conservative opposition candidate Mauricio Macri stunned Argentina's ruling party with an unexpectedly strong showing in the presidential election on Sunday, forcing a run-off vote next month, preliminary results showed.
Daniel Scioli, backed by outgoing leftist president Cristina Fernandez and her Front for Victory party, had a big lead in pre-election opinion polls and he had hoped for an outright victory on Sunday. But the results showed the two men running neck-and-neck. With returns in from 86 percent of polling stations, Scioli had 35.9 percent support while Macri had 35.2 percent.
"What happened today will change politics in this country," Macri, the pro-business mayor of Buenos Aires, said in a speech to supporters.
The outcome of the election will shape how the South American country tackles its economic woes, including high inflation, a central bank running precariously low on dollars and a sovereign debt default.
