Political parties of the extreme left and right are to be banned in Portugal following the assumption of total power by the Military Supreme Council of the Revolution in the wake of this week's abortive coup.

The moves were announced by Commander Correia Jesuino, the Minister of Social Communications.

Two centre-right parties are the most likely to be affected by the ban. They are the Centre Democrat Party (C.D.S.) and the Christian Democrat Party (P.D.C.). The headquarters of both parties were ransacked by angry mobs in the aftermath of the coup attempt.

By Thursday (13 March) troops throughout the country had been placed on a reduced alert although guards remained on state radio and television stations and buildings such as the Untied States Embassy.

At the barracks which were attacked by air at the start of the rebellion, soldiers were showing factory girls in brightly coloured clothing, damage to the buildings caused by the raids. The flag flew at half mast in memory of the one soldier killed in the attack.