Centre-right candidate on track to win Portugal presidential vote

LISBON (Reuters) - Centre-right candidate Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa appeared close to securing an outright win in Portugal's presidential election on Sunday, an outcome that should help maintain political balance after a turn to the left in October's parliamentary ballot.

Portugal's president is a largely ceremonial figure but he plays an important role at times of political uncertainty - as he has since last October's inconclusive parliamentary election - and has the power to dissolve parliament and fire the prime minister.

Three exit polls showed Rebelo de Sousa, a former journalist and one-time leader of the centre-right Social Democrats, with between 49 and 55.7 percent of the vote. If he wins more than 50 percent, he will avoid a second round.

His closest rival, Socialist Antonio Sampaio da Novoa, had between 21 and 25 percent, the exit polls showed.

Rebelo de Sousa has promised to build consensus as president - something Portugal may need as a shaky government of moderate centre-left Socialists dependent on far-left parties for support in parliament tries to reconcile pledges to end austerity with budget deficit cuts promised to the European Union.

"I really hope that it gets done in the first round and everyone starts working so that we have a stable, healthy political environment," said Maria Joao de Conceicao, a 43-year-old teacher, doing her weekly shopping after casting her ballot.

"I think Marcelo is what Portugal needs now, both as mediator and a bit of a counterweight to the left."

Many political analysts do not expect the Socialist-led government to serve a full four-year term and the new president could play a key role, either as mediator between the parties or using his power to dissolve parliament and call new elections.

Rebelo de Sousa would succeed President Anibal Cavaco Silva, a fellow conservative who said he only swore in the Socialist government as he was barred by the constitution from calling a new parliamentary election in his last six months in office.

That option will again become possible from April 4, six months after the parliamentary election.

The leftist parties have said Rebelo de Sousa may seek a return to unpopular right-wing economic policies, but he struck a conciliatory tone during his election campaign, saying Portugal needs "more social justice along with minimum financial equilibrium" - a stance similar to that of the Socialists.

Barely half of registered Portuguese voters cast their ballot in Sunday's election, though turnout was up slightly from the previous presidential poll in 2011.

(Reporting By Andrei Khalip; Editing by Gareth Jones)

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