Vasco Cordeiro was reelected on Sunday, October 16, President of the Government of the Azores, with an absolute majority, following regional legislative elections for the new Legislative Assembly.
Polls had projected Socialist Party (PS) Vasco Cordeiro as the winner. He won 46, 43% of votes against Social Democrat (PSD) opponent, Duarte Freitas, who garnered 30, 89% of votes.
President Cordeiro won 30 out of a total of 57 parliamentary seats, while Duarte Freitas in opposition, secured 19 parliamentary seats for his party.
The Christian Democrats (CDS-PP) won third place with 4 parliamentary seats. Four additional parliamentary seats were won by three minority parties.
Abstention was estimated at about 59%, of a total of 228.160 registered voters, of which 93.189 voted and 134.971 abstained. In the previous legislative elections (2012) abstention was estimated at about 52 %.
This is President Cordeiro’s second term as President of the Government of the Azores. He was first elect on October 14, 2012, with an absolute majority of 49% of votes, replacing former incumbent Socialist Party Carlos César, after 16 years in office.
Vasco Cordeiro, 43, who had served as the former Regional Secretary for the Economy, graduated with a Law Degree from the University of Coimbra. Elected for the Regional Legislative Assembly in 1996, he became the leader of the regional Socialist Party parliamentary delegation. Vasco Cordeiro was appointed Regional Secretary for the Agriculture (2002) and Fisheries and Regional Secretary for the Presidency (2004) serving as Regional Secretary for the Economy (2008).
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The Azores (population 250,000) became an Autonomous Region of Portugal in 1976. The government of the Autonomous Region of the Azores includes the Legislative Assembly, composed of 57 elected deputies, elected by universal suffrage for a four-year term; the Regional Government and Presidency, with parliamentary legitimacy, composed of a President, a Vice-President and seven Regional Secretaries responsible for the Regional Government executive operations. The Autonomous Region of the Azores is represented in the Council of Ministers of the Central Government by a representative appointed by the President of Portugal.
