President Alberto Fernández said that the Supreme Court "has become the arm of the opposition and of the concentrated groups of economic and media power".

He said this in a message broadcast on national television following a ruling by the highest court that ordered the suspension of the gubernatorial elections in the provinces of San Juan and Tucumán.

This ruling, the President said, "leaves democracy hostage to a group of judges".

He also recalled that two judges who signed the ruling were appointed by decree by his predecessor, the former president Mauricio Macri, and that they "respond to his orders".

Mr Fernández announced that this case will be added to the file to impeach the Justices that has been pending in Congress for several months.

According to the Court, the candidacies of Tucuman governor Juan Manzur and San Juan governor Sergio Uñac do not respect the principle of alternation of power.

Manzur was running for a fifth consecutive term in office, as he has switched between the posts of governor and lt-governor since 2007.

Meanwhile, Uñac was seeking a third consecutive term as provincial leader.

Judges upheld opposition's claims that had been rejected by the local courts in San Juan and Tucumán.

For this reason, the President claimed that the Supreme Court was violating the federal character of Argentina, which ensures the autonomy of the provinces.

For his part, Uñac rejected the ruling and described it as "institutionally serious and politically unacceptable".

Manzur, meanwhile, toned down the conflict and called for "waiting a little longer" and added: "sooner or later the people of Tucumán will go to vote and they are free to choose".

Both governors, in any case, anticipated that they would abide by the ruling.

The opposition, however, rejected Alberto Fernández's message for not respecting the "division of powers".

One of its leaders, former president Mauricio Macri, asserted that the ruling "puts a limit to the abuse of power" in the provinces.