The possibility of suspending La Pampa's open, mandatory and simultaneous primaries has begun circulating in the legislature, conditional on Congress suspending national PASO for 2027. There is no formal bill yet, but the discussion already changes the electoral landscape because the provincial system has operated since 2003.
The governing coalition would need broad internal agreement. Sergio Ziliotto cannot seek another term and Peronism must manage a difficult succession. Suspending primaries may facilitate negotiated selection, but it could also reduce participation just when the party needs legitimacy for its next nominee.
The strongest impact could fall on the opposition. The UCR, PRO and La Libertad Avanza are exploring a common front with different leaderships and electorates. Open primaries offer a neutral mechanism to choose a governor candidate and allocate list positions. Without them, decisions depend on party agreements.
The UCR most clearly supports keeping the system. Its leaders argue that the opposition alliance should respect current law and that open competition prevents a candidate from being imposed externally. LLA, by contrast, wants its national presidential weight recognized.
Sergio Ziliotto is in a delicate position because any rule change will be read through the succession. If Peronism suspends primaries when the opposition needs them, the move may look tactical. A credible case would require general arguments about cost, institutional coherence and participation.
There is also a stability problem. Changing electoral rules near an election alters expectations for parties, candidates and voters. Coordination with national rules may make sense, but provincial reform should clearly define duration, scope and alternative democratic mechanisms.
National PASO and provincial EIAOS are separate legal systems even if they share an open-primary logic. Suspending one does not automatically require suspending the other. La Pampa must evaluate effects on competition, representation, cost and legitimacy.
The next step is to wait for Congress while testing consensus inside Peronism. Ziliotto must choose between preserving a familiar rule and backing a suspension that changes both government and opposition dynamics. Institutional quality depends on transparent, early and general rules.
