Portugal holds presidential election as country battles rise in COVID-19 cases
Portugal has witnessed a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases in the recent past and it was unclear whether the country would go ahead with the polls.
- World News
- 2 min read
Portugal holds the presidential election on Sunday as COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to rise in the country. Hundreds of people waited outside polling stations in queues to cast their votes in the election, which experts suggest will be won by the incumbent Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. Portugal has witnessed a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases in the recent past and it was unclear whether the country would go ahead with the polls.
However, the country held the polls on January 24 as it was scheduled earlier despite the mounting cases. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is expected to win a second term as his approval ratings have remained well above 60 per cent for the last five years. The centre-right president was elected in 2016 and has since remained popular among the voters. The President in Portugal does not hold any executive powers, which remains with the parliament and the government, but the position itself plays an influential role in the society.
Exit polls suggest Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is way ahead of the other six candidates, who all trail with single-digit numbers. Days before the polls, the president had urged the voters to give him a clear majority in order to avoid a runoff election, which happens when no candidate secures more than 50% of the total votes. The president said that a runoff would mean unnecessary time being wasted when the country should focus on better handling the pandemic. Marcelo himself had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days ago following which he self-isolated and cancelled all appointments.
COVID-19 in Portugal
As far as COVID-19 is concerned, Portugal reported its highest single-day tally of new cases on January 23 as the country registered more than 15,000 new infections. Portugal currently tops the world as it has the highest rates of new daily infections and deaths. Portugal has more reported more than 6,24,000 infections to date, of which 10,194 people have lost their lives.
(Image Credit: AP)
Published By : Vishal Tiwari
Published On: 24 January 2021 at 19:21 IST