At stake in this election:

• 24 seats in the Senate (Senado)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Eduardo DUHALDE
• Head of Government: President Eduardo DUHALDE
• 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.

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 to serve 6-year terms*. In the Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) 257 members are elected by direct vote to serve 4-year terms.**

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

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

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Justicialist Party / Peronist
  • Leader: Carlos Saúl MENEM
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 13
• Party: Alternative for a Republic of Equals (ARI)
  • Leader: Elisa CARRIO
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 0
• Party: Radical Civic Union (UCR)
  • Angel ROZAS
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 6
• Other Parties
  • Seats won in this Senate election: 5

Last Legislative election:

• Parliamentary elections to the National Assembly last held on October 14, 2001. There were 24 seats decided in the last election.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 36,955,182 (July 2000 est. )
• Registered Voters: 24,735,483 ( 2001 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 19,569,093 (2003)

·         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: 79 (Chamber of Deputies); 24 (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: 5,543,277 (est).