EUROPEAN BRIEF

Created: 4/23/1975

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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EUROPEAN BRIEF CIV

1. PORTUGAL: PORTUGAL'S POLITICAL PARTIES* CONCERNED THAT THO YEARS OF NON-STOP POLITICAL ACTIVITY tlAY HAVE TURNED 'FF LARGE NUMBERS OF VOTERS* ARE ENGAGED IN AN ELEVENTH-HOUR EFFORT TO OVERCOME VOTER APATHY BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ELECTION ON SUNDAY. THE RULING REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL HAS ALSO ISSUED AN APPEALOTER TURNOUT. V

PARTIES OF BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT-tJIIICH END THEIR CAMPAIGNS THIS EVENING-AS UELL AS MAMY POLITICAL OBSERVERS IN LISBON* BELIEVE THAT ABSTENTIONS UILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN LAST YEAR* UHENERCENT OF REGISTERED VOTERS PARTICIPATED IN THE HIGHLY CHARGED CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS. V

I THE CENTRIST POPULAR DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE CENTER-RIGHT SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC CENTER ARE UORRIED THAT MANY OF THOSE UHO ABSTAIN UILL BE CONSERVATIVES UHO ARE FED UP UITH PORTUGAL'S "REVOLUTION OF THEV

COMMUNIST CONCERN THAT SOKE OF THE PARTY'S MODERATE LEFT-WING

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SUPPORTERS MIGHT BE AMONG THEHOUS UAS INDICATED IN RECENT

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REMARKS BY PARTY LEADER ALVARO CUNHAL, WHO HAS BEEN EMPHASIZING THAT "NO GOOD DEMOCRAT SHOULD

1 FACED UITH THE PROSPECT OF HIS PARTY BEING EXCLUDED FROM THE NEU GOVERNMENT TO BE FORMED THIS SUMMER, CUNHAL

CONTINUES TO PRESSOMMUNIST-SOCIALIST COALITION- CUNHAL ON WEDNESDAY THREATENED TO WITHHOLD COMMUNIST SUPPORT FROM THE

SOCIALISTS IN PARLIAMENT IF THEY ATTEMPT TOINORITY

GOVERNMENT Oil THEIR OWN. -*

THE SOCIALISTS* fcHfi rAVE STEADFASTLY REBUFFED OVERTURES

HE COMMUNISTS, IGNORED THE LATEST COMMUNIST THREAT, SAYING

THAT ANY ALLIANCE UITH THE COMMUNISTS WOULDETRAYAL OF THE

PORTUGUESETHE SOCIALISTS HAVE ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT A

CAMPAIGN STICKER CLEVERLY CONTRIVED BY THE COMMUNISTS THAT SHOUS A

WORKER'S CLENCHED FIST, THE SOCIALISTS' EMBLEM, HOLDING THE

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COMMUNIST HAMMER AND SICKLE AND FEATURING AN APPEAL FOR UNITY BETUEEN THE TUO PARTIES. V

MEANWHILE, SEVERAL1MILITARY CANDIDATES ARE ALREADY JOCKEYING

FOR POSITION IN THE IMPORTANT FOLLOU-UP PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION,

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UHICH UILL BE HELP IfJ "JO MONTHS. PRIME MINISTER AZEVEDO

RECENTLY REAFFIRMED HIS INTENTION TOANDIDATE AND ISSUED A

THINLY DISGUISED APPEAL TO THE PARTIES FOR THEIR SUPPORT. Y

THE APPARENT FRONT-RUNNER, NORTHERN MILITARY REGION COMMANDER

PIRES VELOSO, IS PLANNING AN ELECTION GAMBIT OF HISRIP TO

THE US EARLY NEXT MONTH TO MEET UITH CONGRESSMEN AND LEADERS OF THE

PORTUGUESE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. LABOR MINISTER TOMAS ROSA, A

MEMBER OF THE POWERFUL "OPERATIONAL" WING OF THE MILITARY, CLAIMED

ON TUESDAY THAT THE MILITARY IS BEGINNING TO COALESCE AROUND PIRES

VELOSO'S CANDIDACY. HE ALREADY ENJOYS SOME SUPPORT IN ALL THREE OF

THE MAJOR NON-COMMUNIST PARTIES. V

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LISBON RADIO ANNOUNCED ON THURSDAYAR LEFT SPLINTER

PARTY HAS ENDORSED FORMER SECURITY CHIEF OTELO DE CARVALHO FOR

PRESIDENT. CARVALHO HASOLITICAL "UNPERSON" FOLLOUING

HIS IMPLICATION IN THE ABORTIVE NOVEMBER REBELLION, AND MIS CANDIDACY IS NOT LIKELY TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY

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