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The Portuguese country will have a day of early legislative elections after the Parliament voted against the budget last October and the president called the elections. However, the ghost of the coronavirus threatens to increase an absenteeism rate that, in 2019, was greater than 51%. The leaders of the most preponderant parties called on the electorate and assured health guarantees.
This Sunday, 10.8 million Portuguese will elect the new members of Parliament in early elections promoted by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa after the leftist parties joined the right and vetoed the 2022 budget last October, causing a political crisis.
However, the current conditions in which they will be developed are not the best. The country is going through a complicated moment in health matters due to the large number of Covid-19 infections that it registers daily, a no small element that can lead to absenteeism that is usually high.
For example, in the 2019 legislative elections, the electorate that did not go to the polls was greater than 50%, a higher figure than in 2017, which in itself was already high, exceeding 45%. To prevent fear of the coronavirus from being an impediment, the authorities enabled an exclusive strip for voters with a positive diagnosis (there are around 800,000 who are of voting age). It will be in the last hour before closing, from 6 to 7 pm. In addition, the candidates called on the people to attend the vote and guaranteed health security.
This morning I was able to accompany my wife to the polling station at Escola Parque Silva Porto, in Lisbon. Voting is always a great joy, in which each one participates in the construction of the collective future. pic.twitter.com/c5yfxdJqxU
— António Costa (@antoniocostaps) January 30, 2022
Regarding the political environment, there is no clear winner or favorite in the polls, which show a technical tie. The Portuguese Parliament showed a map of fragmentation that made it difficult for the ruling party to govern, a scenario that seems difficult to change in these elections.
The candidates called for participation
The Socialist and Prime Minister António Costa asked the voters to attend a “decisive” vote and where “every vote counts”, according to their qualification. “I hope people feel safe, all measures have been taken. There is no reason for fear, ”he asserted. Finally, he wanted “everyone to participate in the great party of democracy.”
For his part, the main opponent, the conservative Rui Rio, was relaxed in Porto, where he requested a massive turnout at the polls. “I call for people to vote,” said the Social Democratic Party candidate.
Joao Cotrim Figueiredo, referent of the Liberal Initiative, classified as “very important” that people come to cast their vote and also gave guarantees of protection and measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Catarina Martins, coordinator of the Left Bloc that will seek to remain as the third force, affirmed that “abstention is not the solution.”
In the same vein, another candidate declared, Jerónimo de Sousa (Communist Party), who assured that “voting has a very great meaning” as not to appear. Finally, Ines de Sousa Real, from People, Animals and Nature, and the Christian Democrat Francisco Rodrigues dos Santos asked to confront the “ghost of abstention” and called for “voting with the heart.” Their parties have low representation in Parliament, with less than five seats each.
with EFE