General Luis Valenca Pinto, 57, will be sworn in as the nation's new chief of general command of the army on Wednesday, the Lusa news agency said.

Earlier on Monday the centre-right government of Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso said it would propose that Pinto, who has nearly four decades of military experience, take over the post.

Pinto will replace General Jose Manuel da Silva Viegas, who resigned last month as chief of the army, a position he had occupied since March 2001, saying he no longer had confidence in Defence Minister Paulo Portas.

Since his resignation Viegas has said military underfunding had prevented him from properly carrying out his duties.

Last year the defence minister cancelled an order for new military helicopters and slashed an order for new submarines for the navy as part of government belt-tightening measures.

One week after Viegas stepped down, eight retired Portuguese army chiefs, including former president Antonio Ramalho Eanes, issued a statement strongly criticizing Portas for providing too little support to the military.

Viegas is the second top military official in eight months to leave his post following a disagreement with the minister, who has been damaged by his links to a corruption trial.

In October General Jose Alvarenga Sousa Santos was forced to resign as chief-of-staff of Portugal's armed forces after he accused Portas in a radio interview of failing to ensure the military could replace its ageing equipment because he was distracted by the scandal.

Portas gave testimony for more than six hours in June in an embezzlement trial involving financial links between a private university and a polling company he managed in 1997-98.

At stake was Portas' alleged use of university funds for political and private gains.

Thirteen former members of the management of Moderna University, including the former rector, face charges of criminal association, fraudulent management, fraud, forging documents and bribery.

In the wake of the recent criticism of the Portas' performance by leading military officials, the main opposition Socialist Party renewed its call for his resignation

"Portas is turning into a tumour, and tumours need to be removed or else they contaminate the entire body," former Socialist president, and current European member of parliament, Mario Soares said Saturday in an interview broadcast on state radio Antena 1.

Portas, a 40-year-old bachelor who is frequently photographed with famous socialites at social events, has said he will respond to the criticisms leveled against him only after the new army chief is sworn in.

In addition to his role as defence minister, Portas is the head of the Popular Party, a right-wing partner in the government coalition.

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