neighbourhood commissions.
Last summer the disarray of the bosses and landlords, of the bourgeois politicians and the military leaders was such that the institutions of the capitalist state itself began to tremble violently. But the abortive left-wing revolt of 25 November enabled the bourgeoisie to take temporary advantage of the situation to impose a defeat on the independent soldiers movement, to regroup its forces and to put the workers on the defensive.
The Portuguese ruling class has already had some success with this project. The suspension of the collective labour contracts, the increasing professionalisation of the army, However, they have not as yet been able to win back the land or the factories.
The bourgeoisie hope that the results of the elections will enable them to make advances in this arena as well. The Portuguese Landowners' Confederation (CAP) and the Portuguese Confederation of Industry (CIP) have already laid their cards on the table: against the agrarian reform; against the workers. commissions; against the trade unions; for a 'free' market economy; for "favourable' conditions for capital investment; for law and order'.
Fascists Increasingly fascist bands are attacking the militants of all the workers parties. Last week they murdered Father Maximino, a member of the extreme left Popular Democratic Union. This week a new fascist paper has been published, A Rua. The Social Democratic Centre, the most right-wing of the bourgeois parties and the one that will make the largest gains in the elections, have been able to organise rallies and hold meetings in towns where last year they were unable to show their faces.
But the ruling class has not only itself to thank for this advance. Without the active collaboration of the reformist leaderships of the Communist and Socialist Parties, the situation of the capitalists would be altogether more difficult.
The CP and SP have joined the CDS and Popular Democrats (PPD) in signing an ciectoral pact ana vol ing for a constitution which gives the military leadership and the president (to be elected separately in June) the final decision for the next four years on matters of government policy. Both reformist parties have also called for a 'social truce during the election campaign.
DAVE WIMHURST reports Already the CP has used its weight to call off a national strike of construction workers against the Prime Minister's refusal to honour a wage agreement reached before 25 November. added, however, that in Setubal and Beja the workers refused to follow this Stalinist directive and forged ahead with the strike. The recent national strike of nurses was eries, on the farms.
right, the workers control literally ised into hundreds of agricultural neighbourhood commissions are still functioning.
It should be are very definitely undefeated.
of 14 political organisations (see box), including our comrades of the Internationalist Communist League, Portuguese sympathising tional. Candidates ates throughout the whole of the Portuguese workers living as ing the last elections, for the Constituent Assembly, the LCI stood candidates in only four electoral districts. extent to which the organisation the nationalisations, workers conpickets and ible for the workers to answer the growing offensive of the bosses.
ist leaders of the CP and SP, the ilities by forming a government I ons and the workers commissions with German Christian Democracy Small but rich.
Nearly 38 per cent in last elections.
attacks on workers. intermany nas a tion, and campaigns under the slogan "Rebuild the Country' Together with petty bourgeois allies of MDP (not standing this time), won 17 oer cent in last elections. -reoareo to form government with SP. Leadership thoroughly Stalinist, but base open to influence of revolutionary politics. Voted for constitution.
CONT YICION NACION in the civil service, in the engineering industry, in the building industry in the docks, at Timex, in the brewIn spite of the policies of the reformists and the manoeuvres of the hundreds of enterprises, organising themselves in workers commissions.
On the land the peasants are organThe trade unions are gaining strength. A number of The workers and peasants, although on the defensive, It is against this general background that the elections are taking place, with the active participation organisation of the Fourth Internacaros e dancas da bandas canto here DUC FESTIVAL DA PRIMAVERA 28 MARCO LESTADIU T DE MANO TADE ON CONTIE coros e dancas th scrania 4553 bale renovacan teatro foichore bandas canto swe UJC UES FESTIVAL DA PRIMAVER ALEGRIA NA LUTA 28 MARC _ESTA DIO 1 DE MAIG MANIL DESPRTI coros e dancas ucrania ursS Dane renovaca featra lolclore bandas canto liv UBS DOS PRITICS
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The Portuguese elections on Sunday take place exactly two years after the overthrow of tne Caetano regime - two years in which the Portuguese working class has tasted the possibilities of workers' power through the creation of its own independent organisations like the workers and
28 MARCO COM ORC
VEST PA PRIMAVER ICENTRACIO COMICIO CONCENTRAÇI