Portuguese President Mr Jorge Sampaio dissolved parliament today and called an early general election for March 17th.
Mr Sampaio set the early election following the resignation last week of Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Guterres.
"Elections were not due until October 2003. Using the constitutional powers invested in me, I have decided to dissolve the Assembly of the Republic," Mr Sampaio said in a televised speech to the nation.
"Having considered all the circumstances, I call for elections for a new Assembly on March 17." Mr
Sampaio said he had come to the conclusion no political party or group in the current parliament was capable of forming a new government.
Mr Guterres, who had been in power for six years, tendered his resignation after his Socialist party lost control of Portugal's three biggest cities to the conservative Social Democrats in local elections on December 16th.