PORTUGAL: COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER CUNHAL TELLS LISBON RALLY PARTY MUST CHANGE POLICIES TO AVERT NEW DICTATORSHIP THREAT

Record ID: 215450

  • Title: PORTUGAL: COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER CUNHAL TELLS LISBON RALLY PARTY MUST CHANGE POLICIES TO AVERT NEW DICTATORSHIP THREAT
  • Date: 8th December 1975
  • Summary: 1. GV & CU Crowd in bullring with red flags 0.6 2. SV Party leader Cunhal speaking 0.16 3. CU ZOOM OUT Crowd chanting 0.38 4. SV Cunhal continues speaking 0.58 5. SC ZOOM OUT Crowd chant "Viva" 1.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 23rd December 1975 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LISBON, PORTUGAL
  • Country: Portugal
  • Reuters ID: LVA807CH7Y7475VK9HTZWQLUJECW
  • Story Text: The Portuguese Communist Party leader, Dr. Alvaro Cunhal told a rally of 20,000 of his supporters in Lisbon in Sunday (7 December) that the Party must change its policies to avert the threat of new dictatorship.

    He was speaking at the Communist Party's first Lisbon rally since last month's abortive left-wing military uprising.

    Dr. Cunhal described the attempted revolt as disastrous, adding that the working masses has to understand the new realities. "They must understand that our system of alliances and our forms of struggle must be revised", he said.

    He added that the threat of another dictatorship would arise if Portuguese Communists failed to understand the new situation or insisted on continuing with previous policies.

    Dr. Cunhal said that those who wanted the military to quit politics and return to barracks were right-wing reactionaries.

    Meanwhile, following the abortive 25 November rebellion, there is fresh controversy both in the Armed Forces and among civilian politicians on the future role the military should play.

    The Communists oppose a return to barracks by the army. Their view is shared by the Armed Forces members of the Military-led Sixth provisional Government.

    However, most other civilian politicians including the Socialists and centre-left Popular Democrats regard the return to barracks by the military as essential -- and they are supported by several senior officers holding key posts.
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