Portugal's parlt election campaign ends, voting due Sunday

LISBON, June 4 (Itar-Tass) -- In Portugal, a parliamentary election
campaign has drawn to a close. The voting is due on Sunday. On Saturday
all political campaigning is prohibited to allow voters make their choice
in a calm atmosphere.
The contenders - center-right ruling Socialist Party and right-wing
Social Democratic Party (SDP) - have held the last mass rallies in the
capital.
Prime Minister Jose Socrates, speaking in a pavilion erected for the
world exhibition of 1998, called upon hesitant voters to support the
Socialists and promised to pursue moderate policies. "I am asking you on
my own behalf and on behalf of the Socialist Party to vote for us, because
the moment is particularly serious and the question of social justice is
at stake," he said.
SDP leader Pedro Passos-Coelho, who spoke in one of the squares of
Lisbon's historical center, declared that "great difficulties are due, but
the country will return to normal life." Focusing on his favorite theme of
the need "to reduce the weight of the state" and to cut spending, he
claimed that such an approach did not depend on left or right beliefs. "We
can only have a sort of state that we can pay for," said Passos-Coelho.
On the final day of a two-week campaign, the leader of the SDP did not
hide his triumphant mood. "Obviously, a victory is coming, a big victory,"
he kept telling journalists who accompanied him in Lisbon. Responding to a
question whether he expected to win an absolute majority, Passos-Coelho
said: "I hope so, I hope that this will happen."
The Social Democratic Party leader derived his growing optimism from
the latest polls, according to which the Social Democrats toward the end
of the campaign managed to get ahead of the Socialists. A poll made public
on Friday by the broadcaster SIC awarded to the SDP 35.5 percent of the
votes, and to the Socialist Party, 31 percent.
However, according to all polls the SDP is to collect less than 40
percent of the votes. Under these conditions, an important role is to be
played by the right-wing Democratic-Christian People's Party, which may
hope to get about 13 percent of the electorate. Further there followed the
Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (8.2 percent) and Trotskyite Left Block
(6.2 percent). The other candidates combined - there are a total of 17
registered political parties and blocs - are likely to gain only 6 percent
of the votes.
The elections are being held against a backdrop of a dire
socio-economic crisis in modern history. Late last year, Portugal once
again entered a period of recession, from which, as economists say, it
will emerge no earlier than 2013. The unemployment rate is at a
record-high of 12.4 percent.
The Socialist Party, the SDP and the People's Party in May signed an
agreement with the EU and the IMF to have promised to cut government
spending and carry out painful structural reforms. In return the lenders
extended a 78-billion-euro loan. Compliance with the conditions will be
monitored on a quarterly basis. The disbursement of the next tranche
depends on the findings. Regardless of who wins the election the
socio-economic policy guidelines are pre-determined.
Taking part in the elections may be more than 9.6 million of Portugal'
s 10.7 million residents. According to polls, 40 percent of the voters are
not going to use their election rights. The returns will be announced late
Sunday night, June 5.