Parties rebuke Lisbon junta

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33541, 23 May 1974, Page 13

Parties rebuke Lisbon junta

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) LISBON. May 22. Three of the four political parties represented in Portugal’s new Government have rebuked the military junta for allowing the two leaders of the deposed Right-wing regime to seek asylum in Brazil.

The criticism was the first open friction between the junta of President de Spinola and sections of the. Leftileaning civilian Government I which the junta installed six days ago. In Portugal’s African territories, the spotlight shifted from Angola — where the Army unilaterally called a cease-fire on Monday to give the guerrillas a chance to make peace contacts — to Mozambique. The Minister of Overseas Territories (Mr Antonio de Almeida Santos) told reporters in Lourenco Marques that the Government had made contact with black rebels and that he was sure they would agree to end the war in Mozambique. The Minister also said that a referendum would be held within a year to determine the territory’s future. In Portugal, the Communists and the middle-of-the-road Portuguese Democratic Movement condemned the !banishment of the former

President. Mr Americo Fomas, land the former Prime Minister. Mr Marcello Caetano, saying that they may have been responsible for misdeeds. Both groups had [wanted to put them on trial.

They said that they were not motivated by revenge but by a desire for justice. The Communist Party said that the move “profoundly (shocked the working class which had suffered for almost 50 years under Fascist tyranny.” X The Left-of-cerrtre Popular Democratic Party expressed its displeasure in more moderate terms and the Socialists called a party caucus to discuss the matter.

Diplomatic sources said that the squabble was not (likely to cause a lasting rift between the junta and the Government.