Portugal's centre-right opposition Social Democrats (PSD) defeated the ruling Socialists in Sunday's early election, preliminary results showed with 80 percent of electoral districts counted. The PSD captured 40.6 percent of the vote compared to 28.5 percent for Prime Minister Jose Socrates' Socialists, who have been in power since 2005, the results showed.
The conservative CDS-PP party, which has governed in the past with the PSD, came in third place with 10.9 percent of the vote, giving Portugal's two right-leaning parties just over half of the vote.
The abstention rate was 42.3 percent, according to the early figure, even higher than the record 40.3 percent in the last general election in September 2009.
The partial results are in line with three exit polls broadcast on state television RTP and private networks SIC and TVI which projected the PSD would capture between 102 and 121 seats in the 230-seat parliament.
This would allow the PSD to govern with a majority if they team up with the CDS-PP, which captured between 12 and 28 seats.
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