Political wing of ETA almost condemns violence
Otegi - "armed struggle an error"
In an interview with a Catalan radio station Arnaldo Otegi, the spokesperson for the illegal Basque political party Batasuna, said that it would be an error to build an independent Basque state using armed struggle because it would be socially and politically impossible to sustain.
However, Otegi avoided direct criticism of ETA, the Basque terrorist organisation, although he repeated that an independent state would not be possible unless it was achieved through democratic means.
Otegi also said that he was sure that ETA was not trying to impose an independent state through its armed struggle but that it used violence because democratic means to achieve independence did not exist.
Otegi affirmed that the objective now was to create a process in which a definitive solution to the conflict could be achieved. He criticised those sectors that insisted that Batasuna condemn ETA’s armed struggle when the opportunity to find a solution to the conflict is there for the taking.
He is reported to have said that ‘at present there are sufficient conditions for creating a situation through honest and sincere dialogue in which a definitive end to the Basque conflict could be achieved’.
The Batasuna spokesperson stated that his organization was going in this direction, although he also warned that such a situation could not be achieved unilaterally by the nationalist left (la izquierda abertzale).
Otegi suggested Batasuna should be legalized immediately because 20 accusations that linked it to ETA and were the reason for it being declared illegal have been discredited. He said that all cases that have reached court have been acquitted.
The director of the nationalist left also denounced powerful interests that try to prevent Batasuna participating in local elections because, according to Otegi, they would achieve very good results. He also said that if Batasuna was not allowed to field candidates in the local elections due to be held on 27th May 2007, that the Basque Country would be the only area in Western Europe where institutions did not represent the votes of its citizens.
In an interview with a Catalan radio station Arnaldo Otegi, the spokesperson for the illegal Basque political party Batasuna, said that it would be an error to build an independent Basque state using armed struggle because it would be socially and politically impossible to sustain.
However, Otegi avoided direct criticism of ETA, the Basque terrorist organisation, although he repeated that an independent state would not be possible unless it was achieved through democratic means.
Otegi also said that he was sure that ETA was not trying to impose an independent state through its armed struggle but that it used violence because democratic means to achieve independence did not exist.
Otegi affirmed that the objective now was to create a process in which a definitive solution to the conflict could be achieved. He criticised those sectors that insisted that Batasuna condemn ETA’s armed struggle when the opportunity to find a solution to the conflict is there for the taking.
He is reported to have said that ‘at present there are sufficient conditions for creating a situation through honest and sincere dialogue in which a definitive end to the Basque conflict could be achieved’.
The Batasuna spokesperson stated that his organization was going in this direction, although he also warned that such a situation could not be achieved unilaterally by the nationalist left (la izquierda abertzale).
Otegi suggested Batasuna should be legalized immediately because 20 accusations that linked it to ETA and were the reason for it being declared illegal have been discredited. He said that all cases that have reached court have been acquitted.
The director of the nationalist left also denounced powerful interests that try to prevent Batasuna participating in local elections because, according to Otegi, they would achieve very good results. He also said that if Batasuna was not allowed to field candidates in the local elections due to be held on 27th May 2007, that the Basque Country would be the only area in Western Europe where institutions did not represent the votes of its citizens.
Labels: Basque country, ETA, Spanish politics
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