Lisbon Leftists attack Govt

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34045, 8 January 1976, Page 9

Lisbon Leftists attack Govt

By .

MARVINE HOWE

of the Neiv York Times News Service, through NZ.P.A.

LISBON. January 7. Leftist organisations! have launched what! appears to be a broad offensive against the' Government. attacking) •simultaneously new austerity measures,! press controls, and alleged abuses of human! • rights. The assault comes after a imonth of relative calm, fol-) lowing an unsuccessful Left-' ist coup d’etat bid and subsequent nurges of Communist sympathisers and extreme Legists in the militarv. Sources close to the Centre-Left Government of: rhe Prime Minister (Mr Jose; Pinheiro de Azevedo) express) concern about the new' anti-"

Government campaign, which' I comes at a time when the' 'Government has barely had, |time to catch its wind. ! In fact, a Government) • crisis which had been simmering since the coup at-; itempt on November 25 was! • practical! v resolved yester-j 'day. after a genera] agree-) 'ment by' the three parties! and the military in the coaliItion. It is too earlv to sav how; much strength the new ant'-i .Government campaign will! shave, but the organisations' 'have chocen nonn’ar themes ‘and particul.arlv the rises in "•rice*—4o and 50 per cent on • a wide rang" of articles in) 'o<;t f«'<- davs Th® Communist Partv. | • which is a member of the: icoalition, has not openly given; I its blessing to the new anti-j 'Government offensive. Never- 1

itheless, prominent Communist intellectuals and Com- , munist-led unions and local j committees are actively participating in the attacks. The Leftists’ offensive got ; under way on New Year’s I Dav w'ith demonstrations dejmanding the release of civilian and militarv prisoners, ’arrested after the Left-wing • uprising on November 25. Their protest gained momentum when the National • Renublican Guard fired on a • crowd, killing tbi-ee people and w’ounding 15. one of ; ■xz’---.rn later died. The association o'’ ••"'• • Fascist former i '•'tirai. inrisoners last night m-esented a petition with 2500 sisna- ■ >ures ’o the President, calling; • for the release of the 150| (prisoners implicated in the; Loup attempt.

Today. 13 unions launched • a frontal attack on the Gov-j I ernment’s economic policy) ■ with a manifesto strongly de-i nouncing the recent w'age ; : freeze and price rises. ; “Every day that goes by) • our wages are worth less.”) ■ the manifesto complained,! . urging workers to “resist the ; capitalist offensive.” In a parallel, almost con-! . certed action. 150 local com-; I mittees have formed an: i action group, and are plan-' • ning a mass demonstration! Fon January 16 to protest! t i le> r j A j n g cost of liv-; ’ • — ’".nt, and the '•. r vases. '■ The Committees have also • nrnclaimoH tar”«rv 10-15 as ,l“The Week for the anti-i ,:Fascist Struggle.” and have; '(’rransed meetinss in Lisbon.! ' Oporto. Rma, Setubal. and 'smaller cities. I