Portugal president asks PM Passos Coelho to form new government

Reuters
Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva (R) and Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho talk during meeting at Belem Presidential Palace in Lisbon, Portugal October 6, 2015. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's president said on Tuesday he had asked Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho to begin consultations on forming a government that can ensure political stability in the euro zone nation. Passos Coelho's center-right coalition won the most votes in Sunday's national election but fell far short of a majority, in parliament, meaning it will have to rely on support from other parties to pass laws. President Anibal Cavaco Silva said in a televised address to the nation he had asked Passos Coelho "to start consultations with the aim of forming a government that secures political stability". (Reporting By Axel Bugge; Editing by Gareth Jones)