New Lisbon Govt faces wider revolt

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33917, 9 August 1975, Page 15

New Lisbon Govt faces wider revolt

Zealand Press Association. —Copyright; LISBON, August 8. A revolt from within Portugal's ruling Armed Eorces Movement (M.F.A. > and bitter criticism from the country's most popular political party, the Socialists, face the new Government of the Portuguese Prime .Minister (General Vasco Goncalves).

In the conservative north, marines were called into the rural town of bale again last night to prevent a repeat of civil clashes in which a man died earlier yesterday.

A Lisbon evening newspaper last night published the text of a manifesto declaring that the new Government “Sacks credibility and is manifestly incapable of governing." Military sources said it was drawn up by Major Ernesto Melo Antunes, a leading moderate who has re--igned from the foreign ministry. was signed by most of the original leading M.F.A. figures, and was being distributed among . military units. The manifesto denounced the •‘fascist spirit" of attempts bv radicals to install a "bureaucratic dictatorship directed against a uniform and inert mass of citizens." It urged that the movement return to its original non-partisan line and called for a Socialist society, but introduced at a realistic pace, peacefully and without convulsions. j *Oppo«ed to liberty’ Dr Mario Soares, whose Socialist Party prompted the present crisis by resigning from General Goncalves’ last Government nearly a month ago, last night accused the Prime Minister of holding on 1 to power like the late Right-j wmg dictator, Antonio Oli-i veira Salazar. The Socialists and the! centre-left Popular Demo- j crats (P.P.D.) won 65 per cent of the votes in the onlyj election since last year’s' military coup. They withdrew from the Government, alleging that the country! was swinging too far to-; wards the minority Com-! munist Party under General: Goncalves. In an open letter to President Francisco Da Costa! Gomes, Dr Soares said the new ' Government was an ■

"ultra - minority administration leading towards a totalitarian society based on a single party and opposed to liberty.” It had no credibility and; was made up of Communists I or crypto Communists, he; ■ said. A list provided by! official sources showed it! I consisted of radical Leftist I military and civilian Mar- - xists without any formal | party affiliation. Dr Soares reproached Gen- ; eral Costa Gomes with failing to respond to his appeal : for a government of national I salvation which would respect the will of the! people as expressed in the; ; elections. The military government; has appealed to citizens in the north to end the weeks of anti-Communist rioting! and looting. The Military Security! Force issued an appeal for i calm, telling citizens they! "should consciously avoid! the incitements to violence; on the part of agitators,! thus avoiding confrontations; with military forces.” In the northern city of! ; Oporto, crowds spat on ! Junta member General Otel Saraiva. de Carvalho, the j country’s military security chief and a radical LeftI winger. Rioting and demonstrations spread across the coniservative north and into eastern and central Portugal. In addition to the nothern ; incidents, sackings of Leftist 1 party headquarters were re-1 ! ported in Porto de Espada. on the eastern border and; Bombarral. 32 kilometres; north of Lisbom. Protesters; held an anti-Communist h demonstration in the central! university city of Coimbra. ;,

Moderates encouraged General Carvalho travelled to Oporto to confer with regional commanders on the situation in the north. Crowds broke through a police line to spit on him and pound his automobile. Troops in northern Portugal appear close to a military rebellion against the Prime Minister and his proCommunist policies. The central Government has rushed more left-wing troops loyal to the Lisbon regime to Oporto in an apparent attempt to head off the crisis. The wave of antiCommunist violence sweeping the north has clearly encouraged the moderates that the tide of popular opinion is swinging their way.