Depression Marta “aggravated the situation of energy supply in Portugal, leaving another 100,000 clients without power between the morning and Saturday night – adding to the 63,000 who at 8am yesterday were entering their 11th day without electricity (water and telecommunications) as a result of Depression Kristin”.
This is the less than upbeat way that reports last night described a country that was expecting its citizens nonetheless to make their way to polling stations to elect the next President of the Republic.
Antipathy over the way in which network supply company E-REDES has been dealing with this crisis is riding high. It remains to be seen how many people will answer the calls from political figures “to exercise their democratic right” today, and elect the successor to President Marcelo.
As many as 11 million citizens could take part in today’s voting, but eight municipalities have delayed voting until next Sunday, due to the ‘lack of conditions’ as a result of the recent storms. One of these is Alcácer do Sal (whose residents awoke to fresh flooding in the streets this morning) – the others are Arruda dos Vinhos and Golegã.
Elsewhere, various voting sections in Leiria, Salvaterra de Magos, Santarém and Cartaxo have postponed the electoral process by a week. In terms of voter numbers, it means that today’s results will be missing the votes of potentially another 36,000-plus citizens.
Exit polls should be available this evening from 8pm – and advice to those keen to exercise their democratic rights is ‘vote in the morning’ as rain is due to return during the course of the afternoon.
Already this morning, people from an isolated village (Ereira) in Montemor-o-Velho have been seen being transported by boat so that they can vote for the country’s new president.
Source material: Diário de Notícias/ SIC Notícias
