1911 Portuguese Constituent National Assembly election explained

Country:Portugal
Type:parliamentary
Previous Election:1910 Portuguese legislative election
Previous Year:1910
Next Election:1913 Portuguese legislative election
Next Year:1913
Seats For Election:234 seats in the Chamber of Deputies
Majority Seats:118
Election Date:28 May 1911
Leader1:Teófilo Braga
Party1:Republican Party
Last Election1:14
Seats1:229
Seat Change1: 215
Leader2:Azedo Gneco
Party2:Socialist Party
Last Election2:Did not run
Seats2:2
Seat Change2:New
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Prime Minister after election
Before Election:Teófilo Braga
Before Party:Portuguese Republican Party
After Election:Teófilo Braga
After Party:Portuguese Republican Party

Constituent Assembly elections were held in Portugal on 28 May 1911, following a coup in October 1910.[1] The result was a victory for the Portuguese Republican Party, which won 229 of the 234 seats.[2]

Electoral system

The country was divided into 51 constituencies for the election.[3] Lisbon elected 20 members from two 10 member seats using proportional representation and the d'Hondt method, whilst Oporto had one 10 member constituency using the same system.[3] The remaining seats were elected from 48 constituencies with three or four members.[3]

Property qualifications for voters were abolished and suffrage was extended to all adults who were either literate or heads of their households, as well as soldiers, who had previously been barred from voting.[4] Bankrupts and "vagabonds" were excluded from the electoral roll.[3]

Candidates for the election had to be literate, and could not run in more than one seat.[3] Party lists had to obtain a certain number of signatures in every constituency (100 in Lisbon and Oporto and 25 in other constituencies) in order to contest the election.[3]

Parties

The table below lists the parties that contested the elections:

NameIdeologyPolitical positionLeader
PRPPortuguese Republican Party
CentreTeófilo Braga
PSPPortuguese Socialist Party
Left-wingAzedo Gneco

Aftermath

The 1911 constitution was subsequently drawn up, which provided for a bicameral parliament and a president elected by a two-thirds vote in Parliament.[3]

Notes and References

  1. [Dieter Nohlen]
  2. Nohlen & Stöver, p1551
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1534
  4. Nohlen & Stöver, pp1533-1534