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M. Continuo

Passos Coelho sees Portugal president naming him PM


    LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's caretaker prime minister Pedro Passos Coelho said he expects the president to give the go-ahead to his centre-right coalition to form a new government based on the Oct. 4 election results in which the coalition won the most votes.

    The coalition failed to win a parliament majority in the ballot, prompting negotiations between the centre-left Socialists and the hard left on a possible government. A minority government would need support, or at least abstentions, from the Socialists to pass laws in parliament.

    "What is to be expected is that the president will call the coalition to form the government, that is obviously what I expect," Passos Coelho told reporters. He also said he did not intent do have further talks with the Socialists if it was only "to simulate negotiations".

    Their talks broke off on Tuesday night.

    (Reporting By Andrei Khalip, editing by Axel Bugge)