LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Voters returned Lisbon's mayor to office in municipal elections in Portugal less than six weeks after a tram accident in the Portuguese capital killed 16 people, including 11 tourists, and sparked a public outcry.
Mayor Carlos Moedas, who leads a center-right coalition, won 42% of the vote in Lisbon, compared with 34% for second-place center-left leader Alexandra Leitan, according to official results released late Sunday.
Moedas rejected any blame for the Sept. 3 disaster, one of Lisbon's worst tragedies in living memory, and refused to resign.
Carris, the company that operates the tram and other public transport in the city, is controlled by the Lisbon City Council. The official investigation is focusing on whether poor maintenance was to blame for any problems with the tram's brakes and safety rope.
His four-year term as mayor has also drawn criticism of his policies on housing, immigration and waste collection as Lisbon creaks under the strain of an influx of tourists and soaring property prices.
Moedas, 55, is considered a rising star in Portugal's centre-right Social Democratic Party and is widely seen as a potential future prime minister.
His election as mayor four years ago was a common career path for politicians seeking higher office, with political responsibility for the capital seen as a stepping stone.
