A presidential election was held in Portugal on 13 January 1991.
The re-election of the hugely popular Mário Soares was never in doubt, specially after the then-ruling Social Democratic Party, led by Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva, announced its support. Therefore, the election held on 13 January 1991 was a landslide and no second round was needed.
As the election of a center-left candidate was assured, other left-wing parties, the Portuguese Communist Party and the People's Democratic Union, presented their own candidates. The communists presented Carlos Carvalhas, who had been Assistant General Secretary of the Party a year before (Álvaro Cunhal was the secretary-general). Carvalhas would later be elected secretary-general, in 1992.
On the right, as the Social Democratic Party supported Soares, while the Democratic and Social Centre presented the only right-wing candidate, Basílio Horta.
Mário Soares achieved the majority of the votes in every district of the country, and 295 of the then 305 municipalities. His score is still the biggest ever in a presidential election in Portugal. Soares was sworn in for a second term as President on 9 March 1991.
Electoral system
Any Portuguese citizen over 35 years old has the opportunity to run for president. In order to do so it is necessary to gather between 7,500 and 15,000 signatures and submit them to the Portuguese Constitutional Court.
According to the Portuguese Constitution, to be elected, a candidate needs a majority of votes. If no candidate gets this majority there will take place a second round between the two most voted candidates.
Candidates
Official candidates
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" |Candidate
!Party support
!Political office(s)
! style="max-width:20em;" |Details
|-
|Mário Soares (66)
|117x117px
|align=left|
|President of the Republic <small>(1986–1996)</small><br>Prime Minister <small>(1976–1978; 1983–1985)</small><br>Secretary-general of the Socialist Party <small>(1973–1985)</small><br>Minister without portfolio <small>(1975)</small><br>Minister of Foreign Affairs <small>(1974–1975)</small><br>Member of the Assembly of the Republic <small>(1975–1986)</small>
|Incumbent President, after winning the 1986 presidential election in the second round with 51.2% of the votes; eligible for a second term.
|-
|Basílio Horta (47)
|107x107px
|align=left|
|Member of the Assembly of the Republic <small>(1976–1991)</small><br>Minister of Agriculture <small>(1981–1983)</small><br>Minister in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister <small>(1981)</small><br>Minister of Commerce and Tourism <small>(1978; 1980–1981)</small>
|Democratic and Social Center (CDS) member; CDS Secretary-general.
|-
|Carlos Carvalhas (49)
|107x107px
|align=left|
|Deputy Secretary-general of the Portuguese Communist Party <small>(1990–1992)</small><br>Member of the Assembly of the Republic <small>(1976–1980; 1983–2005)</small><br>Member of the European Parliament <small>(1989–1990)</small><br>Secretary of State for Labour <small>(1974–1975)</small>
|Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) member; syndicalist.
|-
|Carlos Manuel Marques (42)
|
|align=left|
|None
|Popular Democratic Union (UDP) founding member; engineer.
|}
Decided not to run
- Adriano Moreira – former President of the Democratic and Social Centre (1986–1988);
- Alberto João Jardim – incumbent President of the Regional Government of Madeira (1976–2015);
- António Ramalho Eanes – former President of the Republic (1976–1986); former President of the Democratic Renewal Party (1986–1988);
- Hermínio Martinho – former President of the Democratic Renewal Party (1985–1986; 1988–1990);
|-
| bgcolor="#0093DD"|
| Basílio Horta
| « Um Homem às direitas »
| "An upright man"
|
|-
| bgcolor=""|
| Carlos Manuel Marques
| « A coragem de ser solidário »
| "The courage to be supportive"
|
|}
Candidates' debates
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:98%; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="21"| 1991 Portuguese presidential election debates
|-
! rowspan="3"| Date
! rowspan="3"| Organisers
! rowspan="3"| Moderator(s)
! colspan="18"|
|-
! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Soares
! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Horta
! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Carvalhas
! scope="col" style="width:5em;"| Marques
! rowspan="2"| Refs
|-
! style="background:;"|
! style="background:#0093DD;"|
! style="background:;"|
! style="background:;"|
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| 21 Nov 1990
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| RTP1
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| Vicente Jorge Silva<br/>Maria Elisa Domingues
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
| style="background:#ffffdd;"|A
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
|
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| 4 Dec 1990
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| RTP1
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| -
| style="background:#FFD0D0;"|N
| style="background:#FFD0D0;"|N
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
|
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| 6 Dec 1990
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| RTP1
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| Mário Crespo
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
| style="background:#FFD0D0;"|N
| style="background:#FFD0D0;"|N
|
|-
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| 11 Dec 1990
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| RTP1
| style="white-space:nowrap; text-align:left;"| -
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
| style="background:#FFD0D0;"|N
| style="background:#D0FFD0;"|P
| style="background:#FFD0D0;"|N
|
|}
Opinion polls
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible sortable sticky-header-multi" style="text-align:center;font-size:95%;line-height:16px;"
! rowspan="3" class="unsortable" style="width:110px;"|Polling firm
! rowspan="3" class="unsortable" style="width:150px;"|Fieldwork date
! rowspan="3" class="unsortable" style="width:40px;"|Sample<br>size
!
!
!
!
! rowspan="3" class="unsortable" style="width:30px;" |/<br />
! rowspan="3" class="unsortable" style="width:30px;" |Lead
|-
! class="unsortable" style="width:30px;" |
! class="unsortable" style="width:30px;" |
! class="unsortable" style="width:30px;" |
! class="unsortable" style="width:30px;" |
|-
! style="background:;"|
! style="background:;"|
! style="background:;"|
! style="background:;"|
|-
| colspan="9" style="background:#A0A0A0"|
|- style="background:#EFEFEF;"
| Election results
| 13 Jan 1991
|
| style="background:#FFCBFF"| 70.4
| 14.2
| 12.9
| 2.6
|
| style="background:#FF66FF; color:white" | 56.2
|-
| colspan="9" style="background:#A0A0A0"|
|- style="background:#EAFFEA"
| Euroexpansão
| 13 Jan 1991
|
| style="background:#FFCBFF"| 69.5–73.4
| 14.1–17.2
| 9.3–12.6
| 1.6–2.9
|
| style="background:#FF66FF; color:white" | 55.8
|-
|Euroexpansão
|5–6 Jan 1991
| 634
| |60.0
| 12.4
| 9.0
| 2.2
| 16.4
| style="background:; color:white;"|47.6
|-
|}
Results
National summary
Results by district
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right; font-size:95%"
|-
! colspan="2" rowspan="2" | District
! colspan="2" | Soares
! colspan="2" | Horta
! colspan="2" | Carvalhas
! colspan="2" | Marques
! rowspan="2" | Turnout
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Aveiro
| ; color:#000;" | 250,336
| ; color:#000;" | 77.27%
| 49,675
| 15.33%
| 17,894
| 5.52%
| 6,065
| 1.87%
| 64.36%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Azores
| ; color:#000;" | 75,530
| ; color:#000;" | 80.66%
| 12,192
| 13.02%
| 3,652
| 3.49%
| 6,685
| 6.39%
| 51.79%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Beja
| ; color:#000;" | 48,694
| ; color:#000;" | 54.06%
| 5,293
| 5.88%
| 33,796
| 37.52%
| 2,294
| 2.55%
| 60.34%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Braga
| ; color:#000;" | 287,287
| ; color:#000;" | 77.49%
| 50,991
| 13.75%
| 26,230
| 7.08%
| 6,210
| 1.68%
| 66.41%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Bragança
| ; color:#000;" | 51,571
| ; color:#000;" | 67.48%
| 19,373
| 25.35%
| 3,869
| 5.06%
| 1,615
| 2.11%
| 53.18%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Castelo Branco
| ; color:#000;" | 82,470
| ; color:#000;" | 71.63%
| 18,627
| 16.18%
| 10,593
| 9.20%
| 3,443
| 2.99%
| 60.29%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Coimbra
| ; color:#000;" | 166,041
| ; color:#000;" | 76.86%
| 26,416
| 12.23%
| 19,084
| 8.83%
| 4,498
| 2.08%
| 61.08%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Évora
| ; color:#000;" | 50,805
| ; color:#000;" | 53.99%
| 7,710
| 8.19%
| 33,313
| 35.40%
| 2,281
| 2.42%
| 64.94%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Faro
| ; color:#000;" | 123,550
| ; color:#000;" | 72.40%
| 21,332
| 12.50%
| 20,481
| 12.00%
| 5,280
| 3.09%
| 60.92%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Guarda
| ; color:#000;" | 69,632
| ; color:#000;" | 71.33%
| 19,874
| 20.36%
| 5,815
| 5.96%
| 2,293
| 2.35%
| 58.23%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Leiria
| ; color:#000;" | 150,993
| ; color:#000;" | 72.41%
| 38,014
| 18.23%
| 14,969
| 7.18%
| 4,535
| 2.17%
| 60.93%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Lisbon
| ; color:#000;" | 675,760
| ; color:#000;" | 64.89%
| 156,424
| 15.02%
| 177,275
| 17.02%
| 31,860
| 3.06%
| 61.73%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Madeira
| ; color:#000;" | 70,632
| ; color:#000;" | 67.22%
| 23,981
| 22.91%
| 3,652
| 3.49%
| 6,685
| 6.39%
| 57.98%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Portalegre
| ; color:#000;" | 48,170
| ; color:#000;" | 64.25%
| 7,693
| 10.26%
| 17,271
| 23.03%
| 1,844
| 2.46%
| 66.26%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Porto
| ; color:#000;" | 627,195
| ; color:#000;" | 76.50%
| 101,665
| 12.40%
| 75,517
| 9.21%
| 15,536
| 1.89%
| 65.39%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Santarém
| ; color:#000;" | 161,301
| ; color:#000;" | 68.96%
| 30,938
| 13.23%
| 34,996
| 14.96%
| 6,662
| 2.85%
| 63.33%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Setúbal
| ; color:#000;" | 198,977
| ; color:#000;" | 55.83%
| 29,955
| 8.40%
| 113,232
| 31.77%
| 14,248
| 4.00%
| 62.93%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Viana do Castelo
| ; color:#000;" | 92,312
| ; color:#000;" | 75.26%
| 18,397
| 15.00%
| 9,263
| 7.55%
| 2,693
| 2.20%
| 59.35%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Vila Real
| ; color:#000;" | 84,358
| ; color:#000;" | 75.05%
| 20,139
| 17.92%
| 5,738
| 5.10%
| 2,174
| 1.93%
| 54.63%
|-
! style="background:;" |
| style="text-align:left;" | Viseu
| ; color:#000;" | 145,010
| ; color:#000;" | 75.41%
| 33,945
| 17.65%
| 9,869
| 5.13%
| 3,480
| 1.81%
| 57.96%
|- class="sortbottom"
| colspan="11" style="text-align:left;" | Source: SGMAI Presidential Election Results
|}
Maps
<gallery mode="packed" heights="330">
File:Eleições presidenciais 1991.png|Strongest candidate by electoral district.
File:Eleições presidenciais portuguesas de 1991 (Mapa).png|Strongest candidate by municipality.
</gallery>
Notes
References
External links
- Portuguese Electoral Commission
- NSD: European Election Database - Portugal publishes regional level election data; allows for comparisons of election results, 1990–2010