LISBON, Jan 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Portuguese voters have been asked to venture out despite the country’s pandemic lockdown on Sunday (Jan 24) for a presidential election widely expected to see incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa win another term.
Polls point to a first-round win for Rebelo de Sousa, a former political commentator turned approachable head of state known for candid moments like queuing at the supermarket in shorts, plunging into the sea to help girls whose canoe had capsized or sharing a meal with homeless people.
At stake is a post with the power to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections – a pivotal constitutional role with a minority government in power.
Portugal has been under a second national lockdown for the past 10 days aimed at braking a surge in coronavirus cases.
The country recorded its worst daily coronavirus death toll and number of new infections on Saturday bringing fatalities to more than 10,000.
More than 80,000 infections were reported in the past week to Friday, the highest rate worldwide in proportion to its 10.8 million people, according to government figures.
Almost every new day brings a fresh record in case numbers, and the government has now shut schools for two weeks on top of shops and restaurants.
In his final campaign speech, Rebelo de Sousa – one of the rare politicians often referred to simply by his first name – urged voters to back him so as to avoid a second round.
Lower turnout could also upset the expected easy win for Rebelo de Sousa, with polls giving him 58 per cent of the first-round vote – far ahead of socialist challenger Ana Gomes and far-right populist Andre Ventura, on 15 and 10 percent.
Rebelo de Sousa’s popularity with voters has not suffered from his indulgence of Prime Minister Antonio Costa’s socialist minority government.
He is so well-liked that the socialist party didn’t even bother putting up a candidate, denying its backing to 66-year-old Gomes, a former diplomat and European lawmaker turned anti-corruption activist.
Meanwhile Ventura, the 38-year-old founder of right-wing populist party Chega – “Enough” – says he is in the running to “crush the Left”, which is fielding three out of the seven candidates.
Ventura secured his party’s first and only parliamentary seat at 2019 legislative elections, winning the backing of 70,000 voters or 1.3 per cent. — NNN-AGENCIES
