Portuguese Left-wingers hail new President

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33654, 2 October 1974, Page 17

Portuguese Left-wingers hail new President

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LISBON, October 1. Portugal today entered a fresh phase of its five-month-old revolution. Jubilant Left-wing militants were hailing a new President after days of mounting tension. Thousands of chanting demonstrators flocked into the streets last night to celebrate the downfall of the conservative President, General Antonio de Spinola, who resigned, warning of anarchy and impending chaos.

His moderate successor, 60-year-old General Francisco da Costa Gomes, appealed for unity, order and hard work, as essential to preserving freedom and democracy. General Costa Gomes, regarded as sympathetic to the Left, confirmed the radical Prime Minister, Brigadier Vasco Goncalves, in office. Within hours of General Spinola’s resignation, several close supporters also lost their jobs. Brigadier Goncalves told a press conference that the Defence Minister Mr Mario Firmino Miguel and the Information Minister, Mr Jose Sanches Osorio, both proSpinola officers, would be replaced. The Armed Forces command said that the chiefs of the Army and Air Force had also been relieved of their posts. General Jaime Silverio Marques, Chief of Staff of the Army, and the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Manuel Diogo Neto, were dismissed from the seven-ma.i military junta yesterday. The downfall of 64-year-old General Spinola — swept to power after last April’s

, Armed Forces coup that • ended almost 50 years of • totalitarian rule — was seen I by Left-wingers as a major i victory over conservative 1 forces. Brigadier Goncalves — . whose appointment General . Spinola opposed in vain last j July — said that the Armed ■ Forces and Government did not share his “apocalyptic , and catastrophic vision of Portuguese society,” The austere former cavalry- ■ man was “a victim of a campaign which wished to use his 1 own name, with intentions ! against him and against 1 democracy,” the Prime Min- ■ ister declared. 1 President Costa Gomes said ■ that Portugal would stick by ■ its agreement to give Mozambique independence by next : June. He would follow the ■ junta’s plans for future inde--1 pendence of Angola, the other ’ major Portuguese territory in Africa. I The tightly-organised Communist Party acclaimed Geni era ' Spinola’s downfall, along

t with Left-wing militants who f flew hammer-and-sickle flags i from their cars and sang r revolutionary songs as they 3 paraded through the streets. But the Socialist Party, - headed by the Foreign Minis--1 ter (Mr Mario Soares), was t less enthusiastic. It said that 1 General [Spinola’s resignation 1 was of grave significance, and : noted his association with f steps towards democracy and decolonisation. The resignation of an - embittered General Spinola, s dealt a hammer blow to cons servative forces — the sot called “silent majority.” ‘ Announcing his resignation

on nation-wide television. General Spinola claimed that "revolutionary structures” were being planned for Portugal. He declared that his loyalty to the ideals of freedom and democracy prevented him from having anything to de with them.