Portuguese press salutes victor

Mr Silva avoided a run-off by securing 50.6% of the vote

Centre-right candidate Anibal Cavaco Silva's victory in Portugal's presidential election presents Prime Minister Jose Socrates with something of a conundrum, the Portuguese press believes.

While a socialist prime minister serving alongside a right-leaning president has become a political fact of life for many of Portugal's European neighbours, the period of 'co-habitation' ushered in by Sunday's result is a first in the history of Portuguese democracy.

"What now, Socrates?" asks the Diario de Noticias, which sees the prime minister's party in disarray.

"The Socialist Party has split and a new period of cohabitation begins," the paper says.

The Jornal de Noticias agrees that the Socialist Party now stands "divided".

"Cavaco Silva's victory was marginal, but, as expected, it was secured in the first round against five candidates of the left."

Correio da Manha sees the victory of the country's first centre-right president as more of a triumph for the man than for his politics.

"Mr Cavaco Silva's election confirms there is a sizeable core of the electorate in Portugal who voted not for the party, but for the individual," the paper says.

'Vision'

The daily Publico agrees that it was Mr Cavaco Silva's 10-year track record as prime minister that helped him to victory.

"The winner was the most enigmatic candidate, the most difficult to categorise," the paper says. "More predictable in his victory, but less so in his behaviour."

Mr Cavaco Silva "won on the strength of his reputation" the paper believes, "not of his ideas which he did not set out, nor his policy which he did not make clear".

That leaves the new incumbent "with his hands free to act as he chooses with the government and the parties that supported him," the paper argues, "since he did not commit himself to anything more than general principles and kind intentions".

The voters sent a clear message to the new president and the prime minister: work together Publico

The Diario de Noticias agrees that Mr Cavaco Silva "deserved his win".

"He was the most affirmative candidate," the paper says. "Five anti-Cavaco rivals were unable to take him to a second round, because on the left, there was a lack of vision."

"Jose Socrates has now lost two elections and there are difficult times ahead for him," the paper predicts.

Publico notes, however, that Mr Cavaco Silva's victory with just over 50% of the vote was "not overwhelming".

With the turn-out at under 63%, Expresso make the same point more graphically with its headline: "Cavaco: 2.7 million - Abstained: 3.3 million"

"The abstainers outnumbered those who voted for the winning candidate," it notes.

Nonetheless, argues Publico, the socialist majority has been "destabilised" and it advises the prime minister to show "greater humility" and try to broaden the base of support for his reforms.

"The voters sent a clear message to the new president and the prime minister: work together," the paper concludes.

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