Election as President of Argentina Arturo Umberto Illia

pres. illia waves during 1963 inaugural parade. gen. juan carlos onganía (right), head of military joint chiefs, wore sash of state instead of illia, , said have later told adm. benigno varela (middle) should keep photo...it might prescient, someday.

after fall of government of juan perón in 1955, long period of political instability took on argentina. during period, army have become praetorian guard on politics of country, and, though elections still take place, these marked considerable lack of legitimacy, since peronism (which supported great portion of argentine citizenry) banned during period.

from 1955 1963 country had 5 presidents, of 1 democratically elected: arturo frondizi, governed country may 1, 1958, until march 29, 1962, overthrow military coup. frondizi s removal precipitated lifting ban on peronism ahead of march 1962 mid-term elections. among affected illia, who, though ucr candidate, barred office following election governor of córdoba.

after fall of frondizi, president of senate, josé maría guido, became interim president of country, starting process of normalization lead new elections, on july 7, 1963.

the 1963 elections made possible support moderate, blue faction ((in spanish) azules) of argentine military, led head of joint chiefs, general juan carlos onganía , internal affairs minister, general osiris villegas. together, exercised control on guido s puppet presidency – though shared commitment elections. ucr, out of power since yrigoyen s 1930 overthrow, had been divided since contentious 1956 convention mainstream people s ucr (ucrp) , center-left ucri. leader of ucrp, ricardo balbín, withdrew name march 10 nominating convention , instead supported less conservative, less anti-peronist choice, , party nominated dr. illia president , entre ríos province lawyer carlos perette running-mate.

a military ban on popular front organized perón , frondizi led joint call blank voting means of protest. moderately anti-peronist ucrp hampered former president pedro aramburu s candidacy, made opposition perón central platform. ultimately, however, illia win, , despite carrying fourth of vote, defeated blank vote option (a proxy perón vote) 4 points.

the results were:

people s radical civic union (arturo illia – carlos perette): 2,441,000
intransigent radical civic union (oscar alende – celestino gelsi): 1,593,000
udelpa-pdp alliance (general pedro aramburu – horacio thedy): 1,346,000
others: 2,272,000
blank , invalid votes: 2,058,000

in electoral college on july 31, 1963, illia-perette ticket obtained 169 votes out of 476 on first round of voting (70 short of absolute majority), support of 3 centrist parties on second round gave them 270 votes, formalizing election.