Portugal Communist chief temporarily exits election campaign

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The leader of the Portuguese Communist Party is temporarily dropping out of campaigning for his country’s Jan. 30 general election for an urgent heart procedure. The party said in a statement Tuesday that the 74-year-old Jerónimo de Sousa requires a coronary angioplasty and stent insertion that can’t be postponed until after the election. De Sousa will undergo the procedure on Wednesday and is expected to return to the campaign at the end of next week. The ballot will elect 230 lawmakers. They in turn will vote for a government from one of the elected parties. The Portuguese Communist Party had 10 seats in the outgoing parliament.