Lisbon (Portugal), Mar. 11 (LaPresse) – The vote of confidence in the Portuguese government led by social democrat Luis Montenegro has failed, forcing the government to resign and the country to return to the polls for the third time in as many years. The immediate vote count result was not disclosed, but the President of Parliament, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, announced that the government had been defeated. The government, a bipartisan alliance led by the Social Democratic Party and in power for less than a year, held only 80 seats in the current legislature of 230 seats. A majority of opposition parliamentarians had pledged to vote against it. The government had sought the confidence vote to "dissipate the uncertainty" about its future amid a political crisis focused on Prime Minister Montenegro, diverting attention from government policies. It is likely that new elections will be held in May.