COUNTRY	Portuguese Republic
ELECTION TYPE	Parliamentary
DATE	February 20, 2005

• 230 seats in the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica).

• Chief of State: Jorge Fernando Branco de SAMPAIO
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Pedro SANTANA LOPES*
• Assembly: Portugal has a unicameral parliament called the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da Republica) with 230 seats.

* Prime Minister Pedro SANTANA LOPES and his government resigned 11 December 2004, but will stay on in a caretaker capacity until the February 2005 elections.

• The president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term.
• Members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms.*

* President SAMPAIO called for early elections after dissolving Parliament on 10 December 2004.

• Party: Socialist Party (PS)
  Leader: Jose SOCRATES
  Seats won in current election: 120
  Seats won in last election: 96
  
  
• Party: Social Democratic Party (PSD)
  Leader: Pedro Miguel SANTANA LOPES
  Seats won in current election: 72
  Seats won in last election: 150
  
  
• Party: Left Bloc (B.E.)
  Leader: Franciso LOUÇÃ
  Seats won in current election: 8
  Seats won in last election: 3
  
  
• Party: Popular Party (PP)
  Leader: Paulo PORTAS
  Seats won in current election: 12
  Seats won in last election: 14
  
  
• Party: Portuguese Communist Party (PCP)
  Leader: Jeronimo de SOUSA
  Seats won in current election: 14
  Seats won in last election: 12

• The last election was held on March 17, 2002.

• Population: 10,524,145 (July 2004 est.)
• Number of registered voters: 8,687,945 (December 2003)

• President SAMPAIO called for early elections after dissolving Parliament on 10 December 2004.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: IFES ELECTIONGUIDE ONLINE