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Portugal's major four opposition parties criticized on Wednesday the "servile" attitude of Prime Minister Jose Durao Barroso towards the United States on the Iraq war, which broke out last week.
The Socialists, the Communists, the Left Bloc and the Greens issued harsh criticisms in the presentation of their censure motions over the alignment of Durao Barroso with a war that is "illegitimate, unfair and filthy."
Addressing Parliament, Socialist Party Secretary General Ferro Rodrigues gave a presentation on a censure motion against the government for Durao Barroso's backing of an "illegitimate war", saying such support was against "the will of the Portuguese people."
Communist leader Carlos Carval has said the US-led military action against Iraq was "illegal, filthy and an act of aggression."
Luis Fazenda from the Left Bloc condemned Washington's intention to control Iraq and its oil resources. He also criticized the prime minister for supporting "imperialism".
Isabel de Castro from the Green Party said Durao Barroso had linked Portugal to an illegitimate war that would doom "millions of innocents to death."
Durao Barroso's Social Democrats and their Popular Party allies voted down the censure motions by 116-109 in the 230-member parliament, where they hold 119 seats.
Opinion polls in Portugal have shown that a majority of Portuguese opposes a war on Iraq, with or without United Nations mandate.
(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2003)
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