Polling began on Sunday in Portugal's presidential election, with surveys showing center-rightist reform-minded Anibal Cavaco Silva is ahead of his five left-wing rivals.

Polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) across much of the country and were to close by 8:00 p.m. (2000 GMT).

Cavaco Silva, 66, a former prime minister who has vowed to help push forward economic reforms and improve public services in the country, has a convincing lead over the other main candidates with a 52-53 percent support rate, according to opinion polls published on Friday.

In Portugal, the president, although holding no executive power, can dissolve parliament, veto laws, and influence government policy.

But surveys also showed that it was unclear whether the Social Democrat-backed candidate would collect more than 50 percent of the votes required for an outright first-round win.

Cavaco Silva's main challengers are independent runner Manuel Alegre, 69, a Socialist lawmaker and poet, and Mario Soares, 81, former Socialist president and prime minister.

If no candidate wins more than half of the votes, a runoff election between the two top candidates will be held on Feb. 12.

Source: Xinhua