Portugal Center-Right Coalition Set To Win Election: Exit Polls

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's ruling center-right coalition was set to win between 36.4 percent and 43.0 percent of the vote compared with 29.5-35.0 percent for the opposition Socialists in a national election on Sunday, exit polls showed.

Two of the exit polls, by Catolica University for RTP television and by Intercampus/TVI, showed that the coalition could win a maximum of 116 to 118 seats in 230-seat parliament, while another showed a maximum of 108 seats. That means it still has an albeit slim chance of winning an outright majority.

Polls ahead of the election had given the two parties in the government a clear lead but had indicated the coalition would fall short of a clear majority in parliament, which they currently have.

To win a majority, the coalition would need around 44 percent of the vote. In the last election in 2011, the coalition parties together won 50.3 percent of the vote while the Socialists garnered 28 percent.