Portuguese National Assembly election, 1973

Elections to the National Assembly of Portugal were held on October 28, 1973, the last under the Estado Novo regime. The electoral system, constitutionally amended in 1971, maintained the National Assembly to be elected through plurality voting with semi-open party list in 22 constituencies, with all seats of a constituency going to a sole victor. Voters were formally allowed to strike out individual names. Campaigning began on September 28, under the supervision of the regime, while illegal rallies began as early as April. The governing People's National Action, constituted in 1970 from the former National Union, held its first and only congress in May, supervised by Prime Minister Marcelo Caetano, considered the regime's moderate reformist who unsuccessfully struggled to hold onto Salazar's authoritarian powers. Following the premature retreat of the Democratic Electoral Commission from the race on October 25, due to complaints about its democratic legitimacy, the eligibility and rights of its 66 candidates was revoked for the subsequent five years under electoral law. The People's National Action thus controlled the only legible list, which won all seats with an official turnout of 66.5% or 1,393,294 out of 2,086,020 Portuguese citizens eligible to vote under electoral law. All natural-born nationals residing in Portugal for the past five years were allowed to stand for election, with all mature, literate citizens officially enlisted for the process. An additional 962,854 overseas citizens for the first time participated in an election to the National Assembly, with unknown qualifications or turnout. Some scarcely populated remote countryside regions in the Portuguese overseas territories of Angola and Mozambique were infiltrated by pro-independence guerrillas. Most of Portuguese Guinea was under control or heavy influence of the guerrillas at the time.

The Chamber of Corporations, consisting of 200 members or more, was appointed by the government following its re-endorsement by the new National Assembly, the last to be before the Carnation Revolution next year.^[1]

National summary of votes and seats

References

External links

• http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/PORTUGAL_1973_E.PDF