Vasco da Gama Fernandes

His Excellency Vasco da Gama Fernandes GC C, GC L
Photo of Vasco da Gama Fernandes
1st President of the Assembly of the Republic
In office 29 July 1976 – 29 October 1978
Succeeded by	Teófilo Carvalho dos Santos
Vice-President of the Constituent Assembly
In office 2 June 1975 – 2 April 1976
Personal details
Born	(1908-11-04)4 November 1908 São Vicente, Portuguese Cape Verde
Died	Lisbon, Portugal
Nationality	Portuguese
Spouse(s)	Maria da Glória Ramos de Ataíde Fernandes
Alma mater	University of Lisbon
Profession	Lawyer

Vasco da Gama Fernandes GC C, GC L (4 November 1908 - 9 September 1991), was a Portuguese lawyer and politician.

Background

He was named after his most remote relative Vasco da Gama.

Career

Vasco da Gama Fernandes was licensee in Law, from the faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon, and became a lawyer and politician. Distinguished as an oppositioner to Estado Novo, being arrested for several times by the political police (PIDE), he joined the Aliança Republicana e Socialista (ARS) and later to the Movimento de Unidade Nacional Antifascista (MUNAF). In 1945, he was one of the founders of the Movimento de Unidade Democrática (MUD), and also of the Partido Trabalhista in 1947 and the Socialist Party (PS) in 1973.

After the Carnation Revolution, he was elected a deputy and vice-president of the Constituent Assembly for PS and, when reelected to the Assembly of the Republic, he also became its 1st President from 29 July 1976 to 29 October 1978, also becoming inherently a member of the Portuguese Council of State.

In 1979, he resigned from PS, joining then the Frente Republicana e Socialista (FRS) and later founded the Democratic Renovator Party (PRD). For this party he was again elected deputy in the legislative elections of 1985 and 1987.