1949 Portuguese legislative election

Parliamentary elections were held in Portugal on 13 November 1949.[1] Following the late withdrawal of the Democratic Opposition, only eight opposition candidates ran against the ruling National Union.

1949 Portuguese legislative election

← 1945 13 November 1949 1953 →

120 seats in the National Assembly
61 seats needed for a majority
  First party
 
Oliveira Salazar, retratado por San Payo (Arquivo Municipal de Lisboa, MNV001514).png
Leader António de Oliveira Salazar
Party UN
Last election 120 seats
Seats won 120
Seat change Steady
Popular vote 927,264
Percentage 100.0%
Swing Steady

Prime Minister before election

António de Oliveira Salazar
UN

Prime Minister after election

António de Oliveira Salazar
UN

Electoral system

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The elections were held using 21 multi-member constituencies and one single-member constituency covering the Azores, together electing a total of 120 members, 13 of which were from Portuguese colonies.[2]

Voters could delete names from the lists of candidates, but could not replace them.[2] Suffrage was given to all men aged 21 or over as long as they were literate or paid over 100 escudos in taxation, and to women aged over 21 if they had completed secondary education, or if they were the head of a household and met the same literacy and tax criteria as men.[2]

Campaign

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The Democratic Opposition withdrew from the election shortly before election day.[3] This left only eight opposition candidates on two lists; a Regionalist list in Castelo Branco including former Prime Minister Francisco Cunha Leal and an Independent Agrarian list in Portalegre including monarchist Pequito Rebelo.[3]

The communist National Democratic Movement and the Youth Movement for Democratic Union both boycotted the election in protest at a lack of free vote.[4]

Results

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Party Votes % Seats
National Union
Independent Agrarians
Regionalists
Invalid/blank votes
Total 927,264 100 120
Registered voters/turnout 1,223,172 75.8
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

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  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1542 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ a b c Nohlen & Stöver, p1535
  3. ^ a b "General Election In Portugal Only Eight Opposition Candidates" The Times, 12 November 1949, p3, Issue 51537
  4. ^ "Elections In Portugal Opposition Candidates Defeated" The Times, 9 November 1953, p7, Issue 52774

See also

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