Fitch warns Portugal after court rejects austerity measures
LONDON Mon Apr 8, 2013 12:55pm EDT  LONDON (Reuters) - Rating
agency Fitch warned Portugal on Monday it could demote the
nation's debt deeper into junk territory if last week's
rejection of austerity measures by its constitutional court
disrupts its fiscal repair plans.  Fitch currently rates
Portugal BB+ with a negative outlook which the firm says
historically ends up in a downgrade in around 50 percent of
cases.  Lisbon's constitutional court on Friday rejected four
out of nine contested austerity measures in this year's budget,
cuts that are linked to the country's 78 billion euro ($102
billion)bailout from the European Union and International
Monetary Fund.  Fitch said the uncertainty caused by the 'no'
vote was a potential setback for the country's adjustment
program and had put additional pressure on its sovereign rating.
"Political uncertainty or material slippage in fiscal
consolidation could put negative pressure on the ratings.
Weaker-tha