Soares Threat to Quit
Socialist Press1977 1977-11-30Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 3 →
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seems to be heading towards a new crisis.
Soares says he will resign if the other parties-the Social Democrats, the Democratic and Social Centre and the Communist Party -do not agree to support the government's programme.
Exclusion
The programme includes an explicit exclusion of further nationalisation and further measures to hand back nationalised property to the capitalists and the payment of compensation to others, the establishments of limits on the agrarian reform and on the right to strike.
There is also a further programme of IMF-inspired economic austerity measures including the limitation of wage increases to 20% (when inflation is running at over 30%), measures to 'improve work discipline and lessen absenteeism, measures to derestrict the capitalists' freedom to sack workers and the maintenance of unemployment at its present official level of about 14% of Eanes the labour force.
Taken together this programme represents a huge attack on the gains made by the Portuguese since the overthrow of the Caetano dictatorship in 1974.
Line up
The Portuguese CommunParty is, according to its recent conciliatory sta ments, apparently ready line up behind this ai working class programme a join a government of natio! unity under Soares.
To the two bourger parties, however, even i programme is not enough. far they have implied it they are not prepared to. operate in Soares' plan.
And Soares himself refu to contemplate a governmi of workers' parties with 1 CP. If he cannot get ! grand popular front he ! demanded he will, he sa resign.
The right wing November 25 to organis series of demonstrations celebrate the anniversary the overthrow of the wing insurrection' in 19°5 Political crisis And President Eanes m the occasion to hint ag that, if the political crisis! not resolve itself quici he might assume the spe. powers that the constituti allows him.
That the right is o able to talk so brazenly the responsibility of 1 leaders of the workers' part not only of the Socia government but also of 1 'opposition' CP which in 1 last few months has wage: bitter war on all signs militant action by the wo ing class.
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ultimatum to the oppos- ition parties, the Portu- guese political situation