Spain's Basque separatists to form new anti-violence party

Sat, 27 Nov 2010

Pamplona - Spain's Basque separatists on Saturday announced the formation of a new political party which they say will reject all forms of violence.

The announcement, at a meeting of 300 representatives of the so- called Patriotic Left in the northern city of Pamplona, comes six months before local elections are due.

The goal of the party, which does not yet have a name and is to be registered in the coming weeks, would remain the creation of an independent and socialist Basque state.

"Violence has no place in the strategy of this new political project," said Rufi Etxeberria, one of the leading members of the separatist party Batasuna.

Batasuna was banned in 2003 after Spanish authorities accused it of acting as a political front for ETA, the separatist paramilitary group, charges the party denied.

The most recent attempts by Batasuna supporters to take part in elections with another party foundered after they refused to reject violence.

Since then they have demanded that ETA also reject violence. Until now however, ETA has only declared a ceasefire, as of September 5.

With an eye on the upcoming elections, the government and the conservative opposition on Friday agreed to revise party law in order to make it more difficult for ETA supporters to take political office.

The amendment will allow ETA sympathizers to be relieved of their mandates even after they have been elected.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/355451,form-new-anti-violence-party.html.