2007/IV/03
Basque Country, A historical opportunity to overcome the political conflict and all its consequences

BATASUNA wishes, through this document, to forward to the International Community, the analysis that the Basque pro-independence left makes on the present situation of the democratic resolution process of the political conflict that faces in this case the Spanish State with the Basque Country

Before approaching the present conjuncture it is necessary to make a brief review of the passed year since the armed organization ETA declared the permanent cease-fire the 22 March 2006.

The Spanish government's ominous management of a year of permanent cease-fire


It is already a year since ETA announced its permanent cease-fire last 22nd March 2006; the political process forwarded by the Basque National Liberation Movement it is now collapsed:

The fundamental reasons of that crisis are due to the Spanish Government refusal to face the political causes that base the conflict. Instead of approaching the process through multilateral dialogue and a political agenda that will tackle the roots of the conflict and democratically overcome it by means of a plural agreement, the Government of Zapatero has insisted on maintaining a repressive and rejecting policy.

During the months that have followed the cease-fire, instead of opening the democratic channels of dialogue and negotiation between the political forces, the aggressions against all Basque pro-independence left's political initiatives have not stopped. Until January of the 2007 106 people have been arrested, 33 jailed, there were 45 judicial citations, 227 people were judged, the Basque people have had to pay a total of 1 493 000 their freedom, the judicial macro summary against diverse Basque associations has continued, most marches have incessantly been prohibited, as well as press conferences and public demos...

A dialogue process requires a series of minimum democratic conditions such as the equality condition of all the agents involved. This has not happened during the months of the cease-fire. What before the permanent cease-fire announcement was, according to their political positioning, only hindered by the existence of the armed struggle is still impossible in ETA's non-violence scene.

This repressive policy has a clearly political objective. The Spanish Government and the political forces that help it have prevented the establishment of a dialogue board where the Basque socio-political agents will discuss the key and basic elements of the Basque question, the right of the Basque citizenship to decide and the configuration of the subject which conform the Basque territories.

The lack of minimum democratic conditions as well as the lack of commitment to promote a multiparty political dialogue process showed by the PSOE makes the process becomes nonviable and crisitical.

In August ETA indicated through a press release the serious crisis the process crossed. It indicated that the PSOE and the PNV tried to build a process according to their interests and necessities. Also denounced that these agents lacked the will to face keys of the political conflict through dialogue and the negotiation. And ETA went beyond, when said that the government had failed to fulfil the acquired commitments.

In September Batasuna, with the objective to remove the process from the dead route in which it was, establish meetings with the political agents to build a dialogue board of parties in order to come up with an agreement that would tackle and the causes of the conflict. This attempt that lasted till November gave no fruits as the PSOE did not have the intention to investigate in the political contents that characterize the Process.

The attack on Madrid Airport the 30th December 2006, must be understood in that context of crisis. The Spanish Government in words of President Rodriguez Zapatero indicated that the process was suspended and broken in words of the Home Minister.

In spite of the Government's refusal to engage in a political dialogue process, the Basque pro-independence left has never considered it to be broken despite the hard attacks and the repression suffered.

The conflict lived in the Basque Country has no other solution than to approach its political roots and to overcome them though a plural agreement. The repressive routes have never been able to resolve a conflict of political character. That is the main target of the process, to overcome the conflict from its political roots. The socialist government ominously managed the opportunity opened in March, opinion shared beyond the Basque pro-independence left. The socialist government has not responded to the necessities of the process and has denied the political character of the conflict. It has limited itself to a process of pacification emphasising it in the negotiation with ETA, rejecting the political negotiation and the creation of the board of parties that would approach the roots of the conflict.

The Basque pro-independence left is still committed to the process in a positive and constructive manner.

In spite of the difficulties and the obstacles, the Basque pro-independence left has permanently given steps towards resolving the problems, that would allow from a constructive point of view, to overcome the obstacles and from a political point of view to start up multilateral dialogue process. The Basque pro-independence left continues biding in favour of a process of democratic solutions that will definitively overcome the conflict.

In January 2007 the Basque pro-independence left reaffirmed the commitments acquired in November of the 2004 when it presented the ANOETA proposal that opened this process, methodology that was accepted by all the parts except the PP. ANOETA mentioned that the decisive dialogue must necessarily be develop in the absence of any kind of violence. In January 2007 Batasuna made two calls, the first one for the political formations, so that the political dialogue process is started without delays or conditions to take us to the agreement that will overcome the armed confrontation. And the second one directed to the agents involved in Spanish ETA-Government dialogue board to publicly show their disposition and commitment towards the multilateral political process. ETA responded positively to the summoning committing itself to what declared the 22nd March 2006.

The Basque pro-independence left has constantly tried to begin a democratic dialogue process between the diverse political forces. First in January 2006, then in September 2006 and now is immersed again in the third attempt.

The proposal on the table

The Basque pro-independence left put, in November 2004 through the ANOETA Proposal, on the table methodology for a democratic process.

In March 2007 it presented a political proposal, not a political project. A political proposal that contributes to build a common space in agreement with the rest of political formations of the Basque Country to go to the roots of the conflict. This proposal takes into account an important element that it is that the new democratic framework has to be built from the present reality, a reality that the Basque pro-independence left considers absolutely undemocratic, but accepts to build the Process of political change starting from the present political and institutional reality. It was another step to show the commitment of the Basque pro-independence left.

This proposal approaches the questions that should be debated in the dialog and negotiation board between the political forces and, indicates as the base of the agreement the creation of a new political and legal framework for the four provinces under Spanish domination, with a statute of autonomy and the power to decide its future. All in all,the creation of a democratic transition framework worthy of all the political forces, that will also overcome infringement of rights that currently takes place, and that will open the door to all projects, including the pro-independence one, so that it is not only recoverable but also viable. This democratic framework would definitively overcome the political conflict and its consequences.

The proposal suggests a democratic scene creation process that is born from the existing realities and excludes imposition, annexionists or particionists models. A model in which it is the free and democratically expressed popular will, within the present administrative limits, the one that decides the constitution of the new subject. A new subject (a political autonomy for the four Basque territories) that will also have the capacity to, by means of the decided democratic channels, exercise the right to decide its future, including a independent future. A new subject that unlike the present frameworks does not arise from the imposition but from the consultation and respect of the freely and democratically expressed popular will. Therefore only those who deny the mere existence of a subject as the Basque Country or refuse to grant the voice to the citizenship can object to this proposal.

Last week the Basque pro-independence left registered the party Abertzale Sozialisten Batasuna to, over any obstacle, open the doors in equality of conditions to a dialogue and negotiation process between all. The fundamental reason of that step is that starting off from an undemocratic situation, we want to reach a situation in which the political formations that will take part in the multilateral dialogue, we are in equality of conditions and that the process finally takes off. It was another step that shows the Basque pro-independence commitment to build the solid bases so that the process leads us to a democratic scene that will overcome the conflict.

The political dialogue cannot be avoided if we really want to advance in the process. So that the process goes forward all the political formation we negotiate and reach agreements here in the Basque Country.

The elections.

From our point of view, the municipal elections of 27th May 2007 are an opportunity for the start of the process, and that is why it is necessary to be democratic elections where all the options can be defended and voted. That type of resolution process can be approached if one of the parts involved has its electoral participation prohibited? It is essential that all the political actors are present in the elections and the Basque pro-independence left, because will do what it takes to be represented in the May 2007 elections.

Last weeks attacks

Taking into account what mention above and explaining the steps taken by the Basque pro-independence left to create a positive surrounding around a political resolution, the government has forgotten the dialogue declarations made in order to bid for the repressive ways that clearly attack the dialogue and negotiation process; such as last week arrests in incommunicado regime where the prisoners have denounced to tortures; the arrests of members of the ETA-Government interlocution team in France. As well as the State Advocate and the public prosecutor office taking all the steps required to illegalise Abertzale Sozialisten Batasuna.

Urgent call to the International Community

The Basque pro-independence left summons the international community to denounce these attacks against the process, against dialogue and against peace. As well as to urge to the Spanish state to retake the democratic process through dialogue and negotiation, as this is the only way for the resolution of the conflict in the Basque Country.

Euskal Herria April 2007