[OF REPRESSIONS The monarchy "will ensure the orderly…]

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OF REPRESSIONS The monarchy "will ensure the orderly access to power of distinct political alternatives, in accordance with the freely expressed will of the people? So lied King Juan Carlos speaking to the US Congress.

Meanwhile, back in Madria, it was clearer what he really meant.

His government took fierce steps to suppress all newspapers carrying facts about the widespread and barbaric tortures practiced in his jails.

His prosecutors were demanding an 18 year sentence for CP leader Sanchez Montero arrested for speaking to a meeting in Madrid university in February.

It is true that some of those arrested for organising demonstrations in May have been released on bail (including Marcelino Camacho).

Also the Cortes (Spain's largely appointed "parliament") to aeged e law which appeared political parties.

Unfortunately for the credibility of this measure, it has so far refused to change the penal code to allow anyone to belong to these "legal" parties!

ILLEGAL

More important, the regime is Iegalising scarcely any of the organisations which workers have shown themselves interested in joining and supporting.

So the Spanish CP will remain illegal along with 1 the Communist A desperate struggle is taking place in Japan to remove Prime Minister Miki.

The attacks on Miki come from his own right wing "liberal democrat' party; other leading members are appalled by his insistence that the general election which must take place this year can only be PHOTO: The Militant (SWP).

Movement (MCE), Labour Party (PIE), the Revolutionary Workers Urganisation (ORT), all Trotskyist and Maoist groups and the Workers Commissions.

Spain's political "reforms" remain as phoney as on the day Franco died. But the CP and has taken a further perious step down the road to collaboration with Franco's successors.

The CD has always disguised its collaborationist line by calling for a democratic "break" (ruptura / won by 'coming clean' Lockheed bribery scandal.

The scandal broke in February when it was revealed in the US that Lockheed had paid millions of dollars in bribes to "official persons highly placed in the Japanese government" to secure sales of aircraft and other equipment. rather than gradual reforms.

NEGOTIATIONS

It has now frankly proclaimed itself in favour of a negotiated break (ruptura negociada) - the negotiations, of course, to be with the fascist government of tortuers and single minded enemies of the working class.

The real break must be with all forms of class collaboration - mobilising the united independent strength of the Spanish working class to end fascism.

This revelation came only two months after Miki had become Prime Minister. Because of his 'honest' reputation he had replaced the previous Prime Minister Tanaka, who was forced to stand down when it was discovered that his personal wealth nad been greatly increased by tinancial embezzlements.

The Lockheed scandal has almost completely paralysed the government. The opposition in his own party claim that Miki's removal is needed, to eliminate factions more "modern' image for the election.

Miki himself has recently stated that the party must undergo a big if the capitalist press has given little coverage to the June 27th Portuguese presidential elections, it is because they are confident that their candidate will win.

And the main reason why he will win is that he has the endorsement of Mario Soares, right-wing leader of the Socialist Party.

Saares: Antonio Ramalho Banes, chosen man, is commander in chief of the Portuguese armed REWARD He was promoted to that post as as reward for his brutal suppression of the mobilisation of workers and soldiers on November 26th 1975, and states that his principal aim is to "crush extremist disorder, which is harmful to the country's fragile Eanes fits in well with the desire of Soares to turn back decisively the development of workers' power and to make the country safe for capitalism.

He is still relatively unknown, and has a talent for low profile and ambiguous statement. For the sake of the campaign he has discarded his uniform, and speaks of the need for a less visible military, which must be "cohesive and permanently non-partisan"

What this means is that the armed forces must support the "rule of law" in a bourgeois parliamentary government, and be prepared to smash the attempts of workers and farmers to defend themselves against economic crisis.

The broad confidence that the Armed Forces leaders have in Eanes is a major reason why Soares is supporting his campaign. The Socialist Party decided from the beginning that, in order to preserve the alliance with the armed forces necessary to their aims, their candidate would have to be a military man.

REJECTED

They also considered Pinheiro de. Azevedo, the much betterknown current Prime Minister, but government would gire the-boa geoisie an ideal basis for preparin a decisive assault on the jobs an living standards of Portugues workers.

EMBARASSED

The CP also considered endors ment of Eanes. They decide against it in the end, not because ‹ his anti- working class position, bi out of embarrassment at bein found in the company of the righ wing bourgeois PPD and CD: which have also declared for Eane as have the Maoist MRPP and AOC The Stalinists therefore put fo ward a candidate of their own. H is Octavio Pato, number two in th party hierarchy, and known as "moderate" who supports th openly class-collaborationist Ioa of the French and Italian CPs.

The Stalinists strategy is to tr to win enough votes to be able t strike a bargain with Fanes. Pat has already stated that the CP wi not show hostility toward members of the Revolutionar Council (Eanes and Azevedo. provided the Stalinists are given governmental role to play.

OBSTACLE

A serious obstacle to the CP manoeuvre is the candidacy ‹ populist Maj. Otelo de Carvalhr who is supported by centri groupings such as the PRP and ME and the Maoist-influenced UDP.

Carvalhos has been released frol house arrest for the campaig where he had been placed for h supposed part in the Novembe 26th rising, and has attracted large following of militants.

Seventy thousand people greete the arrival of his special frain i Oporto.

Carvatho's programme include progressive slogans such as nationa isation of industry and collectivi ation of land, but is full of confu ion and inconsistencies.

He stresses the need fc "independence from internationi capital" , instead of calling for th mobilisation of workers agains capitalism of whatever stripe.

And as if that were not enough

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Socialist Party dominated alliance, the Democratic Coordination (CD),