theredplough
05-11-2007, 11:12 PM
Basque citizens showed mixed feelings on Monday (May 07) to Spain's
Supreme Court decision to ban Basque nationalists from standing in regional
elections on May 27 because of links to outlawed separatist party Batasuna.
The judges, after 18 hours of overnight deliberation, banned the
Abertzale Sozialistak (AS) group, saying it was a front for Batasuna, outlawed
since 2002 for links to armed guerrillas ETA, court documents showed on Sunday
(May 06).
Daily Basque "Gara" published a headline reading:
"Spanish Court challenges free elections again." Other national
newspapers also gave the issue frontpage treatment. Pro-government "El
Pais" said: "Spanish Supreme Court bans ANV lists challenged by the
government," while rightwing "El Mundo" criticized the
government with the following headline: "The Supreme Court says the
government should have asked to ban ANV."
An unidentified Basque citizen said: "Despite it all, all
political options should be available -voters should have their say and
decide. But that's not 100 percent fair either. I also understand why the
Court barred the parties. However, if they want to ban Batasuna they should
ban all Batasuna candidates from the lists, that would be the cleanest way to
proceed, I think."
Another citizen in the city of Bilbao had a different point of view.
"I totally disagree with the decision. Even though we are told that we
live in a democratic society, it seems to me that it becomes more and more
evident that it isn't true. That's just another lie," she told
Reuters.
Batasuna has the support of about one in seven voters in Spain's
northern Basque Country, but the party has refused to meet government demands
to condemn violence to be able to participate in the May local government
elections.
Meanwhile in a different city of the Basque region, San Sebastian,
separatists reacted to the ban vowing to appeal the court's decision.
"From the ANV candidacy group, we will continue the legal fight,
and the opinion fight as well, to guarantee that the leftist and separatists
ideals, shared by thousands of Basques, are well represented in the next
regional elections," said Kepa Bereziartua, ANV political candidate.
On Wednesday (May 2), Batasuna had said banning its supporters could
scupper chances for a peaceful solution to the four-decade-old Basque
conflict.
During a recent rally held in the Basque city of Baracaldo, the leader
of the banned Batasuna party, Arnaldo Otegi, told supporters that Basque
nationalists will run for election on May 27.
Otegi said: "Assuming political responsibility our message is: not
only we have the right to stand in the election -we must stand and we will
stand. The Abertzale Sozialistak will run for election just as it is, without
covering up, with its programme, with all its men and women."
In addition, the court banned 133 lists of candidates or half of the
candidates standing for Basque Nation Action (ANV), which the government
believes has been infiltrated by ETA's political ally.
But the court ruled that another seven lists of independent candidates,
which the Spanish government also wanted to ban because of links to Batasuna,
were free to run for election, the documents showed.
The leader of the opposition Popular Party, which wants the whole of
ANV banned, said the Supreme Court's decision meant that ETA and Batasuna
could run for election in May.
During the Basque conflict, ETA has killed more than 800 people in its
campaign for Basque independence. The government scrapped peace talks with ETA
in December, when the armed group bombed Madrid airport, killing two people in
its first fatal attack since May 2003.
Supreme Court decision to ban Basque nationalists from standing in regional
elections on May 27 because of links to outlawed separatist party Batasuna.
The judges, after 18 hours of overnight deliberation, banned the
Abertzale Sozialistak (AS) group, saying it was a front for Batasuna, outlawed
since 2002 for links to armed guerrillas ETA, court documents showed on Sunday
(May 06).
Daily Basque "Gara" published a headline reading:
"Spanish Court challenges free elections again." Other national
newspapers also gave the issue frontpage treatment. Pro-government "El
Pais" said: "Spanish Supreme Court bans ANV lists challenged by the
government," while rightwing "El Mundo" criticized the
government with the following headline: "The Supreme Court says the
government should have asked to ban ANV."
An unidentified Basque citizen said: "Despite it all, all
political options should be available -voters should have their say and
decide. But that's not 100 percent fair either. I also understand why the
Court barred the parties. However, if they want to ban Batasuna they should
ban all Batasuna candidates from the lists, that would be the cleanest way to
proceed, I think."
Another citizen in the city of Bilbao had a different point of view.
"I totally disagree with the decision. Even though we are told that we
live in a democratic society, it seems to me that it becomes more and more
evident that it isn't true. That's just another lie," she told
Reuters.
Batasuna has the support of about one in seven voters in Spain's
northern Basque Country, but the party has refused to meet government demands
to condemn violence to be able to participate in the May local government
elections.
Meanwhile in a different city of the Basque region, San Sebastian,
separatists reacted to the ban vowing to appeal the court's decision.
"From the ANV candidacy group, we will continue the legal fight,
and the opinion fight as well, to guarantee that the leftist and separatists
ideals, shared by thousands of Basques, are well represented in the next
regional elections," said Kepa Bereziartua, ANV political candidate.
On Wednesday (May 2), Batasuna had said banning its supporters could
scupper chances for a peaceful solution to the four-decade-old Basque
conflict.
During a recent rally held in the Basque city of Baracaldo, the leader
of the banned Batasuna party, Arnaldo Otegi, told supporters that Basque
nationalists will run for election on May 27.
Otegi said: "Assuming political responsibility our message is: not
only we have the right to stand in the election -we must stand and we will
stand. The Abertzale Sozialistak will run for election just as it is, without
covering up, with its programme, with all its men and women."
In addition, the court banned 133 lists of candidates or half of the
candidates standing for Basque Nation Action (ANV), which the government
believes has been infiltrated by ETA's political ally.
But the court ruled that another seven lists of independent candidates,
which the Spanish government also wanted to ban because of links to Batasuna,
were free to run for election, the documents showed.
The leader of the opposition Popular Party, which wants the whole of
ANV banned, said the Supreme Court's decision meant that ETA and Batasuna
could run for election in May.
During the Basque conflict, ETA has killed more than 800 people in its
campaign for Basque independence. The government scrapped peace talks with ETA
in December, when the armed group bombed Madrid airport, killing two people in
its first fatal attack since May 2003.