PORTUGAL: PORTUGAL'S SUPREME REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL DURING LULL IN COUNTRY'S TURBULENT POLITICAL MANOEUVRING, LIMITS CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY AND ATTACKS EXTREME LEFTISTS.

Record ID: 648146

  • Title: PORTUGAL: PORTUGAL'S SUPREME REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL DURING LULL IN COUNTRY'S TURBULENT POLITICAL MANOEUVRING, LIMITS CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY AND ATTACKS EXTREME LEFTISTS.
  • Date: 21st June 1975
  • Summary: 1. CU Slogans and posters on walls (4 shots) 0.16 2. GV Republica Newspaper office 0.22 3. CU & GV People buying & looking at newspapers (4 shots) 0.45 4. CU Policemen watch as people return to work (3 shots) 1.01 5. CU Shopkeeper opening shutter PAN TO poster 1.05 Initials BJB/1850 BJB/1900 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th July 1975 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LISBON, PORTUGAL
  • Country: Portugal
  • Reuters ID: LVA32JO5G6JOA11UKOOKJXAU7JE0
  • Story Text: Portugal's military leaders emerged after an all-night meeting on Saturday, (21 June) with their reassessment of their revolutionary aims -- a reassessment which included a slap at extreme left wing groups and the placing of restraints on the elected constituent assembly.

    The 3,300 word communique was issued by the 30-man Supreme Revolutionary Council after a week of debate, during which time the country was torn by bitter disturbances between Catholics and Socialists over the operation of a Catholic radio station, and between Communists and Socialists over the operation of a socialist newspaper. However, for the past tow days there has been a lull in political tensions.

    The Communique told the Constituent Assembly to get on with the job of drawing up a constitution and stay out of national politics and administration. This comes in the face of a decision by the Assembly to consider political questions as well as the drawing up of the constitution.

    The Military Council also warned extremist groups set on disturbing public order...threatening them with military action. The Army has already arrested hundreds of members of the Maoist Movement for the Re-organisation of the Proletarian Party.

    It complained about what it called erroneous, alarmist and defamatory reports in the local and foreign press and threatened to pass strict press laws to curtail them.

    Despite pressure from some leftist groups for a non-party revolutionary government, the Council re-affirmed its commitment to a multi-party democracy and re-dedicated itself to building a socialist society in Portugal despite serious economic problems.

    On the question of foreign affairs, the Council said portugal would remain in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

    SYNOPSIS: In the highly-charged political atmosphere of Lisbon, Portugal, the country's military leaders emerged from a week of discussions on Saturday with their long-awaited blueprint for the continuation of the Portuguese revolution.

    Meantime, security forces continued to bar Socialist journalists from the offices of the newspaper, Republica, while permitting Communist printers to occupy the building. In a communique issued by the Supreme Revolutionary Council, the press was criticised, threatened with tough new laws and charged with alarmist and defamatory reports.

    The Council also stepped in to head off an enlarged role by the elected Constituent Assembly -- telling members to stick to the job of drawing up a constitution and stay out of national politics and administration.

    The Council did reject leftist pressure to eliminate political parties, though, and re-affirmed its commitment to a multi-party socialist state -- and to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
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