Independentzia eta Sozialismorantz
EUSKAL HERRIA, Step by Step
ASKAPENA's information service, Nº 185
One of our old sayings says: "Is easier to catch a liar than a thief". And this is exactly what happened in Euskal Herria. The painful illegalization process suffered by the Basque Left had two parts. During the phase before the elections, many fellow countrymen justified the ongoing trap; they repeated restlessly the messages exonerating the fascist: "It was something agreed between the government and Batasuna"..."At the end they will be able to be in the elections without problems"..."They are behaving as if they were victims because this benefit them"..."If they are not allow to be in the elections, they are the only responsible for it"..."They did not do the task [that is, to condemn violence] they have to do if they want to become a member of the exclusive Democrats Club"...
*Here you are some videos about the setting-ups of the cityhalls in Iruñea (Navarre) where most of the people wanted to throw the fascism of PP away, but PSOE prevented it, Elorrio where the basque left won the elections, Lizartza where PP with just 27 votes stole the major to the village and Sestao where 2 people were arrested by the basque-spanish police when they were protesting against the ilegalization.
These sentences justifying the outrage were too scandalous and showed the ones who repeated them up. This is the reason why several Basque parties mixed these sentences with another ones hopping to show some ethic sensibility: "The Parties Law must be abolish" ..."There must not be political parties out of the elections"... "Conditions must be equal for all of us"... This was empty rhetoric aimed to take care over their image and to pretend an ethic conscience they do not have, despite of their boasting about it. But their efforts to give the electoral campaign an appearance of normality showed their real intentions: they hoped the Basque Left were no allow to be in the elections in order to benefit from the post belonging to the illegalised Basque Left.
The elections day, the leaders belonging to the parties that were accomplice with the illegalization had to withstand the popular protests. People belonging to the Basque Left were waiting for them in order to reproach them for their attitude. The anger of the first ones about the protest shows that they do not feel they are to blame for the fascist outrage they were committing.
Post-elections confrontation
The PNV, the party of the Basques who have abandoned their principles, is the first party to make statements. On June 5 solemnly and shamelessly they state that they will take up the posts that the popular decision gave to the Basque Left [by voting the illegalised electoral lists]. Nobody is surprised by the decision: the PVN has always been persecuting the Basque Left, it has been PSOE accomplice to illegalise the Basque Left, and, besides, it is the one that will benefit from the illegalization. The PNV has never put ethics before their own party interest.
Two days later, the party Eusko Alkartasuna ("Basque Solidarity", but this time they do not honour the party's name) make clear their position answering the Basque Left's request with words similar to the ones said by PNV: "We will not tolerate nor threats neither we will accept democracy lessons". Thieves always think they are respectable people. After the elections, they start an intense ideological work in order to convince the citizens that their theft was in keeping with democracy. They are also pressing their own activist, because some of the ones who are going to take up their posts without being elected do not want to become thieves, as the board of their parties demand them (By the way, the same parties that claim that they are against the Parties Law).
Popular answer
Knowing that they are in the right and that a huge injustice is being committed against them, the Basque Left activists claim their rights. After the elections, ANV has send letters to the different parties asking for a joint meeting; by now, the results are unsatisfactory. From June 6, the Basque Left start a popular mobilization in order to put the subject on the streets and publicly denounce the thieves. On June 7, there is a demonstration before the PNV headquarters to denounce their attitude. On June 8, the Basque Left members of the Basque Parliament show posters inside the Parliament denouncing the theft. On June 9, there is another demonstration before the PP headquarters in Vitoria-Gasteiz. On June 10, the demonstration is before the Bilbao City Hall. During this demonstration, the members of ANV announce that on June 16 they will attend the setting-up of institutions, in order to take up their posts won by the elections[that is, the legal ones as well the ones elected by the illegalised lists].
This cause the usurpers a big concern: shamelessly they are stealing, but the feel outraged when the illegalised claim their rights. The Basque and Spanish Home Office get a special operation to repress the Basque Left's protest. Once again, the police are ready to protect the thieves from the ones who have been plundered.
Setting-up of the anti-democratic city halls
Something that usually is just an administrative formality, in Euskal Herria becomes the expression of an abnormal and convulsed situation. Some of the city halls were set up very early in the morning, and in a hurry more appropriate to working in secret. The police were present at them, and received orders to act against the plundered; in some cases, the police turn the city halls into bunkers against the popular clamour. The Basque left is also present in every act denouncing what is happening. Some of the illegalised elects take the seats that belong to them, take part with gags on their mouths... We do not need to said that the police repression is the answer to these pacific protest, with several people hurt or arrested as a result.
In the middle of this tension in the air, some people, who show more sensibility than most of the leaders, refuse to collaborate on this fraud. The group Aralar warn that they are no going to take seats that in justice do not belong to them. Other candidates do not attend the setting-up in order to express their disagreement to what is happening.
This exemplary and honest attitude counter the miserable behaviour of some of the parties leaders. The ones who said that they were against the Parties Law are now putting pressure on the ones that do not want to become thieves unscrupulousness stealing the posts that belong to the Basque Left. A context of violence and repression promoted by power and the parties leadership creates only tension.
