The Workers’ and Left Front did very well in the election with Liliana Olivero heading the list of candidates. The FIT increased from 110,000 votes to 150,00 votes

In the industrial city of Cordoba – which also has a large student population – the Left Front increased its votes from 9,2% to 12,24% of votes since the primary elections.

In the province of Cordoba, the FIT’s votes increased more than 30%, reflecting that broad sectors of workers and youth sympathize with our ideas. Many of them are going to be on the street today protesting against the electoral fraud.

On the very early hours of October 27, ballot papers from the primary elections were distributed instead of the correct ones. It was through a harsh struggle that our legal representative got a resolution from the Electoral Commission authorising for those votes to be considered valid, but this resolution did not reach all balloting stations. In those balloting stations were the FIT had no scrutineers and for that reason we could not prevent the punters of the Radical Party from declaring void the votes casted with the wrong balloting papers.

But there are more irregularities; in the provisional counting many electoral acts were forged and in in 165 polling stations, many of them in the capital city, the FIT got zero votes. Besides, other polling stations reported fewer votes for the FIT than what we actually got. These votes were not counted; in this way the candidate of the UCR was declared as the ninth Cordoba MP.
Addition to that, with 96% of the polling stations counted, the projection of vote was that the FIT was going to secure the ninth Cordoba MP. However, during the counting of the last 157 polling stations we noticed that the number of voters was almost 200% higher than expected. Although this 157 polling stations counted only for 2% of the votes, the Radicals doubled the votes allowing them to secure the ninth Mendoza MP. To us, there is a clear-cut case of electoral fraud.

On the streets, until we defeat those who support the fraud

The ruling class in Cordoba has a long tradition of electoral fraud. And now they want to prevent the FIT – the only political force who stood by the workers against the big automotive companies - for obtaining a parliamentary seat. The FIT also condemned the implementation of short-term contracts and outsourcing practice that lead to job insecurity. The FIT also denounced the lack of health and safety standards that caused the death of several workers in several construction sites.
For these reasons the PJ and the UCR want to keep out of the Congress the voice of the left.
There are two remarkable facts. The elected deputy Scotto of the Front for Victory has not condemned the fraud nor expressed solidarity with the FIT. Moreover, the FPV and the UCR scrutineers ignored the report of irregularities presented by the FIT.

The discontent against this fraud is growing. There are hundreds of people in universities, schools and work places, who want to get involved in the campaign against the fraud. We need to get active. The PTS and the FIT are calling to demonstrate to defeat the fraud. Our first action took place on Monday, 28, the day after the elections. In Buenos Aires city, there was a protest in front of the House of Cordoba. Jorge Altamira (PO), Christian Castillo (PTS) and Juan Carlos Giordano were there. We marched again on Thursday 31st as a part of our campaign against the fraud so the FIT can secured its ninth Cordoba MP.

VOICES

Why did you support and act as a scrutineer for the Left Front?
We support the Left Front because it had supported us before... It’s the only political force that stands for workers not only in Córdoba but in other provinces and cities in the country.
It was just a way to express our gratitude for their support to the Volkswagen workers when the trade union representatives were sacked on January 2nd. It was like giving back just a bit of what the Left Front had given us.
Luciano Fiorelli, delegate in VW Córdoba

What do you think about the fraud reported by the FIT in Córdoba?
We hadn’t ruled it out. For that reason the FIT had invited its supporters, workmates, and friends to help out as scrutineers. Unfortunately, we could not sent scrutineers to the entire polling stations. And the politicians of the main parties are using their influence to prevent us from holding a seat in Parliament.
We are in a difficult situation. The only way out is through mobilisation, rejecting all the parties who endorse this fraud. What was taken from us is not any ‘seat’, but the seat which will be the voice for more than 150,00 people who voted for the FIT.
Fabián Basile, delegate in VW Córdoba