Portugal's opposition Socialists were heading for an overwhelming victory in yesterday's general election, with exit polls forecasting an absolute majority for the centre-left party.

The polls gave the Socialists 45-49 per cent of the vote against 23-27 per cent for the centre-right Social Democrats led by Pedro Santana Lopes, the prime minister. The projections were expected to give the Socialists more than half the seats in the parliament for the first time in their history.