Portuguese Prime Minister resigns

Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes was submitting his resignation to Portugal’s president today, and cancelled talks with France’s prime minister.

Santana Lopes and his Cabinet announced they would quit on Saturday night, a day after President Jorge Sampaio dissolved Parliament and called a general election for February 20.

Sampaio, a Socialist, said Santana Lopes’ four-month-old conservative administration “lacked credibility” after a series of administrative foul-ups.

Santana Lopes had today been due to attend talks with French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin in France.

He said on Saturday, however, that he felt disqualified to represent Portugal after the president’s critical comments.

Sampaio was expected to accept the prime minister’s resignation.

The administration is to stay on as a caretaker government until the ballot.