LISBON, Portugal — An exit poll indicates that Portuguese voters have elected their conservative president to a second term, delivering a harsh political setback to the Socialist government which is struggling to contain a financial crisis.
A poll for TVIndependente said Anibal Cavaco Silva, who is supported by the main opposition Social Democratic Party, collected between 51-55 per cent of Sunday’s vote compared with 17-21 per cent for second-placed Socialist Party candidate Manuel Alegre.
The government has enacted deeply unpopular austerity measures amid fears that the financial crisis spells economic disaster for Portugal.