# 3rd Legislature of the Third Portuguese Republic

The 3rd Legislature of the Third Portuguese Republic (Portuguese: III Legislatura da Terceira República Portuguesa) ran from 31 May 1983 to 3 November 1985. The composition of the Assembly of the Republic, the legislative body of Portugal, was determined by the results of the 1983 legislative election, held on 25 April 1983.
After the election of Aníbal Cavaco Silva as Social Democratic Party (PPD/PSD) leader, in May 1985, he ended the coalition with the Socialists and the then Prime Minister Mário Soares resigned. President António Ramalho Eanes dissolved Parliament on 4 June 1985 and called an election for 6 October 1985.

## Election

The 4th Portuguese legislative election was held on 25 April 1983. In the election, the Socialist Party (PS) won the most seats and formed a majority coalition government with the PPD/PSD, called Central Bloc.
| Party | Party | Assembly of the Republic | Assembly of the Republic | Assembly of the Republic | Assembly of the Republic |
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/− |
| | PS | 2,061,309 | 36.11 | 101 | +35 |
| | PPD/PSD | 1,554,804 | 27.24 | 75 | –7 |
| | APU | 1,031,609 | 18.07 | 44 | +3 |
| | CDS | 716,705 | 12.56 | 30 | –16 |
| | Other/blank/invalid | 343,208 | 6.01 | 0 | –7 |
| Total | Total | 5,707,695 | 100.00 | 250 | ±0 |

## Composition (1983–1985)

| Party | Party | Parliamentary group leader | Elected | Elected |
| Party | Party | Parliamentary group leader | Seats | % |
| | PS | Walter Rosa (Porto) | 94 | 37.6 |
| | PPD/PSD | Fernando Condesso (Santarém) (1983–1984) António Capucho (Faro) (1984–1985) | 75 | 30.0 |
| | PCP | Carlos Brito (Faro) | 41 | 16.4 |
| | CDS | Narana Coissoró (Lisbon) | 30 | 12.0 |
| | UEDS | António Lopes Cardoso (Lisbon) | 4 | 1.6 |
| | ASDI | José Furtado Fernandes (Santarém) | 3 | 1.2 |
| | MDP/CDE | João Corregedor da Fonseca (Setúbal) | 3 | 1.2 |
| Total | Total | Total | 250 | 100.0 |

## Election for President of the Assembly of the Republic

To be elected, a candidate needs to reach a minimum of 126 votes. Due to the Central Bloc agreement between PS and PPD/PSD, both parties would support the same candidate and would rotate the post of President. For the first session of the legislature, only Manuel Tito de Morais, from the Socialist Party, was on the ballot and was easily elected:
Election of the President of the Assembly of the Republic :
| 1st Ballot → | 1st Ballot → | 8 June 1983 | 8 June 1983 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 126 out of 250 | 126 out of 250 |
| | Manuel Tito de Morais (PS) | 170 / 250 | Y |
| | Against | 29 / 250 | 29 / 250 |
| | Blank ballots | 10 / 250 | 10 / 250 |
| | Invalid ballots | 0 / 250 | 0 / 250 |
| | Abstentions | 25 / 250 | 25 / 250 |
| | Absentees | 16 / 250 | 16 / 250 |
| Sources: ||||
A year later, on October 1984, another ballot was called to elect a new President of the Assembly. President Fernando Monteiro do Amaral, from the Social Democratic Party, was the sole candidate on the ballot and was easily elected:
Election of the President of the Assembly of the Republic :
| 1st Ballot → | 1st Ballot → | 25 October 1984 | 25 October 1984 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 126 out of 250 | 126 out of 250 |
| | Fernando Monteiro do Amaral (PPD/PSD) | 174 / 250 | Y |
| | Against | 30 / 250 | 30 / 250 |
| | Blank ballots | 1 / 250 | 1 / 250 |
| | Invalid ballots | 3 / 250 | 3 / 250 |
| | Abstentions | 22 / 250 | 22 / 250 |
| | Absentees | 23 / 250 | 23 / 250 |
| Sources: ||||