Radical Civic Union
The
Radical Civic Union (in Spanish,
Unión Cívica Radical,
UCR) is a
political party in
Argentina. The party's positions on issues range from
liberal to
social democratic. The UCR is a member of the
Socialist International.
The
Unión Cívica Radical (UCR) is the oldest existing political party in Argentina. It was founded in
1891 by radical
liberals and held power for 27 years. For many years the party was either in opposition to
Peronist governments or illegal during military rule.
The party was a spin-off of the
Civic Union, which was led by
Bartolomé Mitre and
Leandro Alem The party unsuccessfully led an attempt to force the early departure of President
Miguel Juárez Celman in the
Revolución del Parque. Eventually a compromise was reached with Juárez Celman's government. Hard-liners who opposed this agreement founded the current UCR. With the introduction of free, fair and secret elections based on
universal suffrage in
1912 the Party manage to win the general elections of 1916, when
Hipólito Yrigoyen became president.
Between
1983 and
1989 its leader,
Raúl Alfonsín, was the first democratically elected
president after the
military dictatorship headed by generals such as
Jorge Videla,
Leopoldo Galtieri and
Reynaldo Bignone. Alfonsín was succeeded by
Carlos Menem of the Peronist
Justicialist Party (PJ).
In
1997 the UCR participated in elections in coalition with
Front for a Country in Solidarity (FREPASO), itself an alliance of many smaller parties. This strategy brought
Fernando de la Rúa to the presidency in the
1999 elections. During
major riots triggered by economic reforms implemented by the UCR government (with the advice of the
International Monetary Fund), President de la Rúa resigned and fled the country to prevent further turmoil. After three consecutive acting presidents assumed duties in the following weeks,
Eduardo Duhalde of the PJ took office until new elections could be held.
After the
2001 legislative elections it became the second largest party in the federal
Chamber of Deputies, winning 71 of 257 seats. It campaigned in an alliance with the smaller, more leftist FREPASO. The party has subsequently declined markedly and its candidate for President in 2003 gained just 2.34% of the vote, beaten by three Peronists and more seriously, by two former radicals,
Ricardo López Murphy of
Recrear and
Elisa Carrió of
ARI, who have leached members, support and profile from the UCR. In the
2005 legislative elections, the UCR was reduced to 35 deputies and 13 senators, but remains the second force in Argentine politics.
The UCR is now riven by an internal dispute between those who support the broadly left-wing policies of Peronist President
Néstor Kirchner led by five provincial governors and who support Kirchner's re-election in 2007, and those who want to back a UCR candidate or a candidate from another movement, most likely
Roberto Lavagna or Elisa Carrió. The latter faction is led by Party President
Roberto Iglesias and former leader
Raúl Alfonsín.
The Party is headed by a National Committee; its President is the de facto leader of the party. A national convention brings together representatives of the provincial parties and affiliated organisations such as
Franja Morada and Radical Youth, and is itself represented on the National Committee.
Presidents of the National Committee
*(1891-1896)
Leandro N. Alem*(1896-1897)
Bernardo de Irigoyen*(1897-1930)
Hipólito Yrigoyen*(1930-1942)
Marcelo T. de Alvear*(1942-1946)
Gabriel Oddone*(1946-1948)
Eduardo Laurencena*(1948-1949)
Roberto J. Parry*(1949-1954)
Santiago H. del Castillo*(1954-1957)
Arturo Frondizi_________
*(1971-1981)
Ricardo Balbín*(1981-1983)
Carlos Contín*(1983-1991)
Raúl Alfonsín*(1991-1993)
Mario Aníbal Losada*(1993-1995)
Raúl Alfonsín*(1995-1997)
Rodolfo Terragno*(1997-1999)
Fernando de la Rúa*(1999-2001)
Raúl Alfonsín*(2001-2005)
Ángel Rozas*(2005-)
Roberto Iglesias |
Radical Civic Union Coat of Arms |
*
List of liberal parties*
Liberalism and radicalism in Argentina*
History of Argentina*
Politics of Argentina*
Radical Civic Union official site
