Argentina's Milei Sends Electoral Reform Bill to Congress to Eliminate PASO Primaries
Primary region South America
Tags Elections · Policy
Regions South America
President Javier Milei's government on April 22 submitted a 79-article electoral reform bill to eliminate mandatory simultaneous open primaries (PASO), restructure campaign financing, and introduce the Ficha Limpia rule barring candidates with second-instance corruption convictions from running. Milei called the PASO system a 'failed experiment' that cost 45 billion pesos ($32.7M) in 2023 without resolving internal party disputes. The bill must pass the Senate before going to the Chamber of Deputies.
Strategic interpretation
The PASO elimination is strategically designed to disadvantage fragmented opposition parties that rely on primaries to coordinate candidacies, while Milei's La Libertad Avanza has a centralized command structure. The bundling of PASO elimination with the popular Ficha Limpia provision makes it politically difficult for opponents to vote against the combined package.