Basque autonomy plan wins surprise victory

VITORIA, SPAIN - A Basque proposal for virtual independence from Spain unexpectedly won approval in the regional parliament on Thursday with votes from Batasuna, a party banned as the political wing of armed separatists ETA.

The proposal by Basque premier Juan Jose Ibarretxe, a moderate nationalist, would enshrine the region's right to self-determination through a referendum and create a "status of free association" with Spain.

Ibarretxe champions his plan as a means to end ETA's campaign of bombings and shootings that has killed about 850 people since 1968.

But its approval put his regional government on a collision course with Spain's ruling Socialist and main opposition Popular Party, who say it breaks the country's 1978 constitution.

"The plan was approved with votes from those backed by guns and violence, and that is inadmissible for any democrat," Public Administration Minister Jordi Sevilla told journalists.

"The government assures the Spanish people it will guarantee scrupulous adherence to the constitution."

Batasuna, which was outlawed in 2003 but still fills the seats in the regional parliament it won before the ban, had originally rejected the scheme for not including the Spanish region of Navarre and three provinces of southwest France.

But Batasuna leader Arnaldo Otegi made a surprise announcement that three of his party's parliamentarians would vote in favour of the Ibarretxe plan later on Thursday -- thus giving it an absolute majority, crucial for its approval.

"You have (the) votes to start a political dialogue that includes everyone, so we can have a referendum where everyone agrees on the question, the mechanisms and how it will be carried out," Otegi said, explaining the change of heart.

The plan will now pass to the national parliament where it is certain to be rejected. However, even to have his proposal debated in Madrid is a symbolic victory for Ibarretxe.

The Basque premier said shortly after the vote he would call Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to inform him of the regional parliament's decision and he would request negotiations to ease the passage of his plan.

Zapatero has re-launched dialogue with Ibarretxe that had been frozen under his predecessor Jose Maria Aznar.

Yet like Aznar, Zapatero considers the Ibarretxe plan a breach of Spain's 1978 constitution and will not accept it in anything like its present form.

The forthcoming debate could cause trouble for Zapatero's government, which relies on small regional parties for its parliamentary majority.

The Republican Left of Catalonia party, which governs in coalition with the Socialists in Catalonia, promptly threw its backing behind the Basques' drive for greater autonomy.

Earlier, Batasuna supporters clashed with police outside the Basque regional parliament in Vitoria while the Ibarretxe plan was being debated.

Several hundred protesters waving Basque flags and banners demanding complete independence from Madrid tried to stage a protest just outside the parliament building until the police charged.

- REUTERS