Friday, April 8, 2011

SPAIN - Basque separatists again barred from elections

Basque separatists, private polls since 2003, they will field candidates in upcoming local elections on May 22? Nothing is less certain, since the Spanish Supreme Court refused Wednesday, March 23, of validating the registration Sortu, new political party formed in February by leaders of Batasuna, the banned eight years ago because of its links with the armed organization ETA.

The founders of Sortu had argued before the Tribunal that they had distanced themselves from terrorism and the legalization of their party would hasten the end of ETA. But judges have preferred to follow the arguments of the government and prosecutors who feel that the new party seeks to pursue the fraudulent activities of Batasuna.

Two possibilities present at Sortu still able to participate in the poll, noted the daily El Pais: report not as a party but as an association of voters, that Batasuna has been done in the past, or be welcome on lists as a legal party of the nationalist left Eusko Alkartasuna (Basque Solidarity).

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