1st LD: Portuguese ruling coalition takes early lead in general election: exit poll

The Portuguese center-right ruling coalition took early lead in the general election on Sunday with 43 percent votes against 38 percent by the main opposition Socialist Party, according to the exit poll by RTP and Catholic university.

The exit poll shows that the ruling coalition will win 108 to 116 seats in the 230-seat parliament while the Socialist Party is set to win 80 to 88 seats. It indicates that the coalition has a slim chance to get an absolute majority in the parliament.

Pedro Passos Coelho's government has been implementing harsh austerity measures under a 78-billion-euro bailout program it signed with the troika of international lenders -- the European Commission, International Moneatry Fund and European Central Bank in May 2011 and the country succeeded in a clean exit from the bailout three years later.

The Portuguese economy has seen a slow recovery since 2014 with 1.5 percent growth in the first half of this year and the unemployment rate has dropped from a record 17.7 percent in 2013 to 12.3 percent last July. Endit