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Center-right candidate favored as Portugal’s next president Exit poll: Runoff possible in Portugal presidential election
(about 4 hours later)
LISBON, Portugal — Portuguese voters cast ballots Sunday for a new president, with a veteran center-right politician who became a popular TV personality strongly favored to capture the mostly ceremonial post. LISBON, Portugal — Portugal’s presidential election could go to a runoff, exit polls indicated, with a veteran center-right politician getting double the votes of his nearest rival Sunday but perhaps narrowly failing to capture the mostly ceremonial post.
Opinion polls have suggested that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will collect more than 50 percent of the vote against nine rivals, some of whom are splitting the left-of-center vote. A poll by public broadcaster Radiotelevisao Portuguesa indicated that Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa won from 49 to 54 percent of the vote, easily defeating nine rivals but possibly falling short of capturing the more than 50 percent needed to be elected immediately.
Although 9.7 million voters are registered, Rebelo de Sousa’s strong poll lead in recent weeks and the mostly ceremonial role has meant the election has largely failed to capture the public’s imagination. Polls on television channels TVIndependente and S.I.C. gave Rebelo de Sousa 51-to-56 percent and 50-to-55 percent of the vote respectively.
The Socialist minority government that now leads Portugal with the backing of the Communist Party and the radical Left Bloc is scrapping austerity measures introduced after the financial crisis. Critics say that’s a risky policy in debt-heavy Portugal, whose economy is struggling to gain momentum. A runoff between the two front-runners would be held Feb. 14. If needed, Rebelo de Sousa would likely take on Antonio Sampaio da Novoa, a former university dean close to the center-left the government who was expected to get from 22 to 25 percent of the vote, according to the public broadcaster.
Rebelo de Sousa says he wants to build bridges between political parties. A Socialist minority government runs Portugal with backing of the Communist Party and the radical Left Bloc. It is scrapping unpopular economic austerity measures introduced after the financial crisis.
His two closest rivals in the race are Antonio Sampaio da Novoa, a former university dean, and former Socialist health minister Maria de Belem. Both of them are close to the government, and polls suggested they each would get fewer than half the votes of the favorite. Rebelo de Sousa’s expected win suggested voters were looking for a counterweight to the center-left government. Turnout was low Sunday at 52 percent after a dull two-week campaign.
The winner will take over from Anibal Cavaco Silva, who has served the maximum of two five-year terms. The government is trying to pull off a balancing act by ending austerity measures while sticking to the financial prudence adopted after Portugal’s 78 billion-euro ($84 billion) bailout in 2011.
Rebelo de Sousa is a moderate who says he won’t rock the boat.
“The president has to be a factor of stability, not instability,” he said during the campaign.
The 67-year-old law professor has had a long career in the public eye, working as a newspaper editor, a media pundit, a junior member of governments since the 1970s, and a former member of the European Parliament.
The winner will move into the head of state’s riverside pink palace in Lisbon on March 9, replacing Anibal Cavaco Silva, who has served the maximum of two five-year terms.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.