Portugal coalition government claims victory in national election

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's centre-right ruling coalition claimed a clear victory in a national election on Sunday after exit polls put it well ahead of the main opposition Socialists, although likely shy of an outright parliament majority. "In the name of the coalition we are here to affirm that all the projections that are known point to a clear fact that the coalition Portugal Forward had a great victory on this election night," Marco Antonio Costa, deputy president of the main coalition party, the Social Democrats told cheering supporters. "We will maintain our commitment to guarantee a recovery ... and will maintain an attitude of dialogue." (Reporting By Andrei Khalip and Axel Bugge)