- Title: Portugal's Socialists claim election victory
- Date: 6th October 2019
- Summary: LISBON, PORTUGAL (OCTOBER 6, 2019) (REUTERS) SOCIALIST SUPPORTERS CELEBRATING AS EXIT POLLS ARE PUBLISHED SOCIALISTS SUPPORTERS CHANTING IN PORTUGUESE "VICTORY" VARIOUS OF SOCIALIST SUPPORTERS CELEBRATING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) 41-YEAR-OLD SOCIALIST SUPPORTER SOFIA CABRAL, SAYING: "We didn't get the absolute majority but that is not a big problem because we will reach an agreement and we will make a government with a solid majority at the Republic assembly." SOCIALISTS CELEBRATING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) 90-YEAR-OLD SOCIALIST SUPPORTER JOAO PEREIRA, SAYING: "I am satisfied but I was worried about the results because everything that happened in the last 15 days. We heard to the ministry making a political analysis and I got scared, and then the incident at Terreiro del Paco complicated the political situation but Portuguese people are very intelligent, not ignorant as many people believe, and it has the perfect conditions to choose who should be in the government." SUPPORTERS CELEBRATING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) SOCIALIST SUPPORTER ARMANDO SOARES, SAYING: "I am satisfied but it is not a complete satisfaction because I would have wanted much more." SOCIALIST SUPPORTERS CELEBRATING AS SOCIALIST LAWMAKER ANA CATARINA MENDES WALKS TO STAGE VARIOUS OF MENDES CLAPPING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) SOCIALIST LAWMAKER ANA CATARINA MENDES, SAYING: "It looks like the socialist party is going to claim a clear victory and this means a clear will by voters to continue with a stable, balanced socialist government." SOCIALISTS CELEBRATING
- Embargoed: 20th October 2019 21:42
- Keywords: Portugal elections polls elections Antonio Costa Socialist party
- Location: LISBON, PORTUGAL
- City: LISBON, PORTUGAL
- Country: Portugal
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZYJYO7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The ruling Socialists won Sunday's parliamentary election with more votes than four years ago but will still likely fall short of having an outright majority, exit polls showed on Sunday (October 6).
The main question now is who Prime Minister Antonio Costa will pick as allies to stay in power.
Official results will trickle in through the evening.
The brackets of voting given by the pollsters were quite wide. Depending on how close the outcome eventually is, a clear picture could emerge quickly or take days or even weeks.
At the Socialist party headquarters, supporters stood up cheering as the exit polls were published.
Senior Socialist lawmaker Ana Catarina Mendes said Socialists had "a great victory" in Sunday's parliamentary election and will seek to form a stable government for four years of the legislature.
Post-election negotiations are not expected to be as messy as in neighbouring Spain, which still has no government more than five months after elections and is heading for a repeat poll in November.
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