At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Argentina

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Fernando DE LA RUA *
• Head of Government: President Fernando DE LA RUA
• Assembly: Argentina has a bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consisting of the Senate (Senado de la Nación) with 72 seats and the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) with 257 seats.

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 4-year term.
• In the Senate (Senado de la Nación) 72 members are elected by direct vote*. In the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) 257 members are elected by direct vote.**

* One-third of the members are elected every two years.

** One-half of the members are elected every two years.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Fernando De La Rúa
  • Party: Alianza
• Eduardo Duhalde
  • Party: Justicialist Party (PJ)
• Domingo Cavallo
  • Party: Action for the Republic Party
• Other Candidates
  • Party: N/A

Last Presidential election:

• Presidential elections were last held on May 14, 1995. In this election, Carlos Saul MENEM received 47.49% of the vote, and thus defeated Jose Octavio BORDON of the leftist coalition containing Frepaso (25.2% of the vote) and the Union Civica Radical candidate Horatio MASSACCESI (17.1% of the vote).

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 36,265,463 (July 1998 est. )
• Registered Voters: 24,108,413 ( 1999 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 18,713,724 (1999)

·         Is Argentina a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Argentina ratified CEDAW: Yes (15 July 1985)

·         Gender Quota: Yes

·         Female candidates in this election: Yes

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 68 (Chamber of Deputies); 2 (Senate)

·         Human Development Index Position: 40 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Argentina a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Argentina ratified CRPD: Yes (2 September 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 4,539,819 (est.)