Argentina's candidates still trade barbs as presidential run-off enters final stretch

With Argentina's presidential run-off only days away, the two candidates were still trading barbs trying to win over undecided voters, local media reported Monday.

Daniel Scioli, candidate of the ruling Front for Victory (FPV), has accused his rival Mauricio Macri of Cambiemos (Let's Change) alliance of only remembering the north of the country, a traditional stronghold of FPV, during an election.

Meanwhile, Macri stressed his competitor "lacks the capacity to govern Argentina" while denying charges that he would cut spending and introduce belt-tightening measures if elected, the daily La Nacion reported.

In the first-round voting held on Oct. 25, Scioli, governor of Buenos Aires province, got 37 percent of the ballots, closely trailed by Macri, the mayor of the capital Buenos Aires, with 34 percent.

Under Argentine law, a candidate must secure more than 45 percent of the vote, or at least 40 percent with a margin of 10 points over the runner-up, to avoid a run-off. If no one wins outright, a run-off election should be held.

The top two are attempting to win over the some 20-percent voters who either had cast their vote for a third-placed centrist or remained undecided. The pair must end their campaigns by Friday morning.

Argentina has more than 32 million eligible voters to select a successor to President Cristina Fernandez, whose second term expires in December. Endit