Lisbon voters reelect mayor in spite of horrific streetcar crash

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LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Voters have returned Lisbon’s mayor to office in Portugal’s municipal elections, less than six weeks after a streetcar crash in the Portuguese capital killed 16 people, including 11 tourists, and caused a public outcry.

Mayor Carlos Moedas, heading a right-of-center coalition, won 42% of the vote in Lisbon, compared with 34% for second-placed left-of-center leader Alexandra Leitão, according to official results published late Sunday.

Moedas rejected any blame for the Sept. 3 crash, which was one of Lisbon’s worst tragedies in living memory, and refused to resign.

Carris, the company operating the streetcar service and other public transport in the city, is overseen by the Lisbon City Council. An official investigation is focusing on whether poor maintenance was to blame for any problems with the streetcar’s brakes and a safety cable.

His four-year term as mayor has also brought criticism of his policies on housing, immigration and trash collection as Lisbon creaks under the strain of a surge in tourists and a steep climb in real estate prices.

Moedas, 55, is viewed as a rising star in Portugal’s center-right Social Democratic Party and is widely regarded as a potential future prime minister.

His election as mayor four years ago was a common career route for politicians eyeing higher office, with political responsibility for the capital regarded as a stepping stone.