Basques vote no to violence

By Vaiju Naravane

PARIS, MAY 14.In a key vote for the regional Parliament in Spain's violence ridden Basque provinces, nationalist parties that back calls for a separate Basque homeland won the most number of seats. Voters however rejected those parties supporting violence as a means to obtaining independence.

The oldest Basque nationalist party - the PNV - and its coalition partner - the Eusko Alkartasuna - which also advocates non- violent separation from Spain won 33 seats in the 75 party legislature or regional Assembly.

The EH or the Euskal Herritarok party which is largely believed to be the political arm of the terrorist organisation ETA saw its number of seats reduced by half from 14 to seven.

The vote on Sunday showed that the separatist cause is still dear to the Basques. Pro-Spanish parties were trounced. Newspapers in the Basque region crowed over the results.

The nationalist Gara newspaper said in an editorial that ``the true loser was the Spanish state with its strategy of eliminating Basque nationalism''.

The campaign was marred by violence with a car bomb attack in Madrid last Friday in which 14 people were injured.

The Prime minister, Mr. Jose Mari Aznar's ruling conservative Popular Party won 19 seats while the Socialists won 13. Both parties oppose secession.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Israel to accept Mitchell report
Next     : A pavilion at last for Indian films at Cannes
           Festival