The 2nd Legislature of the Third Portuguese Republic () ran from 13 November 1980 to 30 May 1983. The composition of the Assembly of the Republic, the legislative body of Portugal, was determined by the results of the 1980 legislative election, held on 5 October 1980.
Following a disappointing result of the Democratic Alliance (AD) in the 1982 local elections, Prime Minister Francisco Pinto Balsemão resigned, citing the election results and disagreements with the PPD/PSD coalition partner, the CDS. The Social Democrats proposed several candidates for Prime Minister to President António Ramalho Eanes, but Eanes rejected them and dissolved the Assembly, calling an election for 25 April 1983.
Election.
The 3rd Portuguese legislative election was held on 5 October 1980. In the election, the Democratic Alliance (AD), a coalition composed by the Social Democratic Party (PPD/PSD), the Democratic and Social Center (CDS) and the People's Monarchist Party (PPM) won a majority of the seats and the three parties formed a majority coalition government.
Election for President of the Assembly of the Republic.
To be elected, a candidate needs to reach a minimum of 126 votes. For the first session of the legislature, two candidates were on the ballot, Teófilo Carvalho dos Santos, from the Socialist Party, and the incumbent Leonardo Ribeiro de Almeida, from the Social Democratic Party who was re-elected:
A year later, on October 1981, another ballot was called to elect a new President of the Assembly. There were once again two candidates, Francisco de Oliveira Dias, from the Democratic and Social Center, and Teófilo Carvalho dos Santos, from the Socialist Party. In the first ballot, no one was elected:
In the second ballot, Francisco de Oliveira Dias managed to be elected, achieving a majority:
Once again, another year later, in October 1982, another election was held where the Socialist Party nominated Teófilo Carvalho dos Santos and the Social Democratic Party nominated Leonardo Ribeiro de Almeida. No candidate was able to be elected for the first 3 ballots:
Only at the 4th attempt did Leonardo Ribeiro de Almeida managed to be elected, due to the lack of people present to vote.