Portugal: Assembly of the Republic Election, 4 October 2015

At stake in this election:

• All 230 seats to the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Aníbal CAVACO SILVA (since 9 March 2006)
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Pedro Manuel PASSOS COELHO Mamede (since 21 June 2011)
• Assembly: Portugal has a unicameral Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) with 230 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• In the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República), 226 members are directly elected by closed-list proportional representation in 20 multi-member constituencies. A further four members are elected in 2 constituencies representing Portuguese living abroad in Europe and the rest of the world. These members are elected by proportional representation. Seats are allocated using the d’Hondt Method.

Election Overview:

• Elections to the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) were called on 21 July 2015 by President Aníbal CAVACO SILVA. In the last election, held on 5 June 2011, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) won the most votes and seats. Following the election, the PSD formed a governing coalition with the People’s Party (CDS-PP). These two parties will form an electoral coalition for the upcoming election in an effort to retain their parliamentary majority.

Main parties in the election:

• Democratic Unity Coalition / Coligação Democrática Unitária (CDU)
  • Coalition Members: Portuguese Communist Party / Partido Comunista Português (PCP)
  • Leader: Jerónimo de SOUSA
  • Last Election: 16 seats (7.9% of vote)
• Left Bloc / Bloco de Esquerdra (BE)
  • Leader: Catarina MARTINS
  • Last Election: 8 seats (5.2% of vote)
• FREE/Time to Move On / LIVRE/Tempo de Avançar (L/TDA)
  • Leader: Rui TAVARES
  • Last Election: N/A[1]
• Republic Democratic Party / Partido Democrático Republicano
  • Leader: António MARINHO E PINTO
  • Last Election: N/A[2]
• Portugal Ahead / Portugal à Frente
  • Coalition Members: Social Democratic Party / Partido Social Democrata (PSD), CDS – People’s Party / CDS – Partido Popular (CDS-PP)
  • Leader: Pedro PASSOS COELHO
  • Last Election: N/A[3]
• Socialist Party / Partido Socialista (PS)
  • Leader: António COSTA
  • Last Election: 74 seats (28.1% of vote)

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 10,825,309 (July 2015 est.)
• Registered Voters: 9,676,888 (May 2014)

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 5,540,960 (July 2015 est.)
• Is Portugal a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (since 24 April 1980)
• Has Portugal ratified CEDAW: Yes (since 30 July 1980)
• Gender Quota: Yes, candidate lists must include at least 33% representation for each gender.
• Female candidates in this election: Yes.
• Number of Female Parliamentarians: 61 (26.5%)
• Human Development Index Position: 41
• Social Institutions and Gender Index Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

• Is Portugal a signatory to CRPD: Yes (since 30 March 2007)
• Has Portugal ratified CRPD: Yes (since 23 September 2009)
• Population with a disability: 1,622,075