Surprises in Basque election blur lines of political landscape

PARTIES in Spain’s Basque region prepared for horse-trading yesterday after a key regional election served up a dramatic shift in their political landscape — a rebuke to the nationalists pushing for autonomy, and the emergence of a little- known, pro-independence party as possible kingmaker.

Juan Jose Ibarretxe, of the ruling Basque Nationalist Party, which called for increased autonomy that verges on independence, was described as the election's big loser, even though his party and a moderate ally won.

But they fell short of a majority in the 75-seat Basque legislature and dropped from 33 to 29 seats. Ibarretxe is not even assured of keeping his job. It depends on what kind of coalition government is formed, and this could take weeks or even months.

Ibarretxe began the day by calling Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis

Rodriguez Zapatero, the first of many contacts the Basque leader plans as parties in the region and Madrid jockey for position. The Basque branch of Zapatero's Socialist party gained five seats for a total of 18 the highest number of seats after Ibarretxe and his party.

The other electoral upset was the Communist Party of the Basque Lands, which won nine seats after the outlawed party Batasuna endorsed it. Batasuna is regarded as the political wing of the separatist group ETA, which has killed more than 800 people since the 1960s in its campaign of shootings and bombings.

The Communist party favours independence and refuses to condemn ETA. Their support is seen as key, albeit unpalatable, for Ibarretxe as he tries to form another government.

"The ruling nationalists still depend on whatever votes Batasuna is prepared to give, whichever its disguise may be, in order to move forward," the newspaper El Pais said.

Newspapers said the autonomy plan is now dead in the water.

The plan called for a separate Basque court system, representation in international bodies such as the EU and, critically, the right to secede from Spain a step Spain's constitution bars. Both mainstream opposition parties Zapatero's Socialists and the Popular Party opposed the plan, and the Spanish parliament voted it down in February.

The Popular Party has criticised Zapatero for not disqualifying the Communist party from the election over alleged links to ETA, and said he has in effect allowed ETA to have a say in the Basque parliament.