Portugal holds its elections to elect a new parliament today. Passport holders registered in Portuguese embassies or consulates around the world are eligible to vote in the polls.
TEAM HERALD tried to get hold of Portuguese passport holders in Goa, but found silence on the other end when called, except for one, who said he had already voted
As Goa gears up for the State Assembly elections, scheduled in barely a fortnight’s time, a few Goans who have opted for Portuguese citizenship have just voted and others will vote as Portugal goes to the polls on Sunday (today).
A large number of the Goan Portuguese passport holders, currently living in Goa have already exercised their franchise through postal ballots.
Rafael da Cunha, who is of Goan origin but a Portuguese national, is currently in Goa after his return from Portugal just last month. When asked whether he voted in the Portugal general elections, he responded to Herald by saying, “I have already voted. In fact, I received a hard copy ballot paper through mail. That consisted of the list of all the parties contesting in Portugal and one has to mark on it whichever party the voter wishes to vote for. There are about 10 to 12 parties in fray.”
When asked how many voters for Portugal elections will be there in Goa, da Cunha said that he had no idea about the exact numbers. “In Kuwait I used to watch a TV Channel called RTP but in Goa we do not have it and hence the spot news for me is missing.”
Herald attempted to speak to a number of Goans who have opted for Portuguese citizens, whether settled in the United Kingdom or in Goa, but they refused to come out in open.
Sunday’s Portuguese general election has turned into a cliff-hanger and the stakes are big. Prime Minister António Costa, who is of Goan origin and has his ancestral home in Margao, is fighting for his political life after a late surge by the centre-right opposition has clawed away his Socialist Party’s (PS) once comfortable poll lead.
According to media reports, Rui Rio, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) was quoted as saying, “I think António Costa is, in effect, on the verge of losing the elections. He’s had a long political career and should lose with dignity.”
Costa began the campaign for Sunday’s general election by promising to “turn the page on the pandemic” – an echo of how he claimed to have “turned the page on austerity” after first taking office in 2015.
He argued that to entrench economic recovery Portugal needs stability rather than upsets, exemplified by parliament’s rejection of his government’s 2022 budget, which triggered this snap election, reported media in Portugal.
