News Item (ce7cb354-37e3-0d76-ca81-ecb24cfdfb95)

(12 Dec 1976) notes: col print location: Lisbon, Portugal title: Lisbon Elections serviced date: 12/12/76 no: lnc 78363 date shot: 12/12/76 length: 28ft seconds: 0:45 sound: natsof date of arrival: Film shows: voting scenes at Lisbon voting station; communist party leader Alvaro Cunhal voting; president Eanes arriving at polling station Lead in: the people of Portugal went to the polls Sunday (dec. 12th '76) to elect their local government officers. Voting in Lisbon itself was expected to be heavily affected by the after-effects of the bomb that blew a hole in the capital's major aqueduct Thursday (dec. 9th '76), cutting off water supplies to all but a very small number of outlets. full water services will not be restored until Tuesday (dec 14th), and the water shortage caused other shortages too, such as a bread shortage. the elections drew only a moderate turnout, despite their critical importance importance for Portugal's immediate political future. feet r/secs 4 :06 gv school / polling station 6 :10 ms people reading notice 11 :18 ms people voting 20 :32 cu Cunhal voting 22 :35 ms zoom in crowd 28 :45 ms president Eanes arrives, shakes hands with crowd Commentary: The unrest created by the bomb blast was evident in the lines forming outside the voting stations on Sunday (12/12). This election could decide whether the socialists' one-party minority government will be able to continue governing without forming a coalition with other parties. The communists were not expected to do well in these elections, and the outcome could dramatically reduce communist influence in local councils. But if communist party leader Alvaro Cunhal was worried as he cast his vote, he certainly did not show it. It was the third major round of voting in eight months, and most of the parties competing in the election ran low-key campaigns. When president Eanes turned up at the voting stations he was warmly welcomed by the crowd. The president has remained very much in the background for these - as the other- elections. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...