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Portuguese gov't defeats no-confidence motion

19 July 2013 00:18 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. The Portuguese government defeated Thursday a no-confidence motion filed by opposition Green Party and backed by the main Socialist Party after the coalition government led by Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho of the Social Democratic Party overcame a severe political crisis over the country's harsh austerity policies earlier this month, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The no-confidence motion, the fifth since the government took power two years ago, was defeated by 87 votes in favor and 131 against in the 230-seat parliament where the coalition government of PSD and CDS-PP enjoys a clear majority.

In the parliamentary debate before the voting, Prime Minister Passos Coelho blamed the Green Party for its submission of the no-confidence motion while stressing that the top priority for the government is to maintain the political stability in order to fulfil Portugal's international commitment for a continuous bailout.

He also called on the main opposition Socialist Party to reach a consensus for a national salvation accord with the government.

He said that the Socialists should realize that now is the time for them to contribute to actively play their role in helping the country get out of the economic crisis at the earliest.

Portugal encountered a severe political crisis when Finance Minister Vitor Gaspar resigned on July 1 and Foreign Minsiter Paulo Portas followed suit the next day. The crisis was later defused thanks to the agreement reached between the two parties in the coalition government.

President Cavaco Silva in a televised nationwide speech on July 10 urged the three main political parties -- two in the government and the main opposition Socialist Party -- to reach a mid-term national salvation accord to ensure a political stability before the expiry of a bailout program of international lenders of troika in June next year.

Portugal is implementing harsh austerity measures in return for the bailout of 78 billion euros (about 101 billion U.S. dollars) from the troika, comprising the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank. The government's move has triggered widespread protests across the country in recent months and also the sharp differences among the country's political parties.

According to official figures, Portuguese economy will contract by 2.3 percent this year and its unemployment rate is expected to increase by 18.2 percent.