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A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 7 october 2019

Exit poll: Portugal's Socialists

win most votes in election

By BARRY HATTON
Associated Press
LISBON, Portugal (AP) —
The center-left Socialist Par-
ty collected the most votes
in Portugal's general elec-
tion Sunday, an exit poll
indicated, leaving it poised
to continue in government
for another four years. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street to
However, with the exit poll attend Parliament in London, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019.
predicting they would get Associated Press
between 36-40% of the
vote, the Socialists could U.K. leader Johnson
fall short of a majority in
parliament. renews vow to leave
That could mean they have Portuguese Prime Minister and Socialist Party leader Antonio
to pursue alliances with Costa picks up his ballot paper to vote at a poll station in Lisbon
other left-of-center parties, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019. EU by deadline
as they did in their last term Associated Press
with the Portuguese Com-
munist Party and the radi- Europe in recent years, has struggled to contain LONDON (AP) — British they're at odds with a U.K.
cal Left Bloc, to pass legis- Costa's administration has disagreements between Prime Minister on Sunday government document
lation. proved wrong the doubt- factions of his party. renewed his vow to take quoted in a Scottish court
The poll says the main op- ers who said it would over- Smaller, fringe parties may the country out of the Eu- Friday indicating Johnson
position center-right Social spend and endeared it- also gain a handful of seats ropean Union by the Brexit intends to comply with a
Democratic Party will get self to its European Union in the 230-seat Republican deadline, in an apparent law Parliament passed this
24-28%. It gives the radical partners by straightening Assembly, the country's contradiction of a govern- month requiring the prime
Left Bloc 9-12%, the Por- out Portugal's ill-managed parliament, which will elect ment pledge in court days minister to ask for a delay if
tuguese Communist Party public finances. the next government. The earlier to ask for an exten- there's no deal with the EU
5-7% and the Christian The budget deficit — long country's president is mostly sion if there's no withdrawal in place by Oct. 19.
Democrats 2.4-5% a torment for Portugal as a figurehead. deal. It's not clear how the gov-
Socialist leader and incum- governments routinely Portugal hasn't witnessed "We will be packing our ernment will resolve the
bent prime minister Anto- overspent — is now close the rise of populist or far- bags and walking out difference between John-
nio Costa took power four to zero under the financial right parties which have on" Oct. 31, Boris Johnson son's public stance and the
years ago on a promise to stewardship of Finance risen to prominence else- wrote in The Sun on Sunday position taken in court.
undo austerity measures Minister Mario Centeno, where in the EU. Protests and Sunday Express news- Johnson's op-ed appeared
introduced during Europe's who also chairs the meet- in Portugal are tradition- papers. aimed at adding pressure
financial crisis, when Portu- ings of finance ministers ally channeled into a low "The only question is wheth- on the EU to agree to his
gal needed an internation- from the 19 European na- turnout — the exit poll said er Brussels cheerily waves latest Brexit proposals as
al bailout. tions that used the shared it could be a new low of us off with a mutually the deadline nears. He
Now his government is set euro currency. around only half the coun- agreeable deal or whether urged EU negotiators to join
to reap the rewards of an Centeno is expected to try's 10.8 million eligible vot- we will be forced to head the British side to agree on
economic rebound in re- continue in the post. ers. off on our own." a deal the U.K. Parliament
cent years. Growth climbed The Social Democrats are The next government fac- Johnson's comments are in can support.
from 0.2% in 2014 to 2.1% in still associated in the public es plenty of challenges, line with his past repeated The two leaders spoke
2018, and unemployment mind with deep cutbacks including the United King- assertions on the key ques- about Johnson's proposals
dropped by around half, to and a three-year recession dom's impending depar- tion of whether Britain, if it for an accord to soften the
6%, over that period. that ended in 2014, when ture from the EU. The U.K. is can't finalize a divorce deal blow of Britain's pending
As other Socialist parties they were in government. one of Portugal's main ex- with the bloc, would leave exit from the EU, Macron's
have lost ground across Also, party leader Rui Rio port markets.q without an agreement. But office said in a statement.q