Portugal votes for new president at height of pandemic

LISBON (Reuters) – Masked, socially distanced and each individual offered their own pen to steer clear of spreading germs, Portugal headed to the polls on Sunday to vote for the mainly ceremonial submit of president even as coronavirus instances access file levels.

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Portugal’s presidential election

© Reuters/PEDRO NUNES
Portugal’s presidential election

Impression polls show that the incumbent, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of the centre-suitable Social Democratic Social gathering, is probable to gain with ease.

Voters queued up as polls opened in the Lisbon parish of Santo Antonio, guided by crimson stickers on the ground marking the two-metre gap.

“I am right here amid the first to prevent groups and queues,” Cristina Queda, 58, said as she waited. “Given that the day of the elections wasn’t adjusted, I made a decision to occur early to keep away from that predicament.”

Just beneath two thirds of Portuguese considered the election really should have been postponed since of the pandemic, according to a poll performed past week by analysis institute ISC/ISCTE.

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Pollsters forecast history abstention of 60-70% in section because hundreds of countless numbers of voters are by themselves in quarantine.

Santo Antonio parish head Vasco Morgado stated councils experienced taken all safeguards – in his parish’s scenario, such as even ambulances at the doorway in situation of crisis.

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Portugal’s presidential election

“This is as secure as is attainable at this time,” Morgado claimed. “It truly is a democratic act which many people today have fought for in excess of the a long time – the proof of which is that now, even in a pandemic, people are getting out to vote.”

The nation of 10 million people today is dealing with a serious put up-Christmas pandemic surge, with the world’s maximum seven-working day rolling typical of new conditions and fatalities per capita.

Authorities noted a history day by day toll of 274 deaths and far more than 15,300 new cases on Saturday, with ambulances queuing for a number of hours at hospitals complete to capability.

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Portugal’s presidential election

“I you should not concur that the date wasn’t changed,” Jose Antonio Queda, 72, who also came early with his spouse, stated. “If we’re in confinement, we should really be preventing the virus as much as possible.”

© Reuters/PEDRO NUNES
Portugal’s presidential election

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee, Miguel Pereira, Editing by Andrei Khalip and Nick Macfie)