EH Supports Basque Government

POLÍTICA POLITIKA

COMMITTED TO POLITICAL AND DEMOCRATIC METHODS OF DEFENDING THEIR IDEAS EH supports Basque Government

Joseba García Bengoetxea torship, all Basque political groups take To sum up, Euskal Herritarrok un- part in the institutions as day by day, a mistakably decides to use only political little by a little, the cease-fire announ- and democratic methods and defends Lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe ced by ETA becomes stronger. the total disappearance of all actions and the parties that form the Basque Euskadi has been free of mortal ou- and manifestations of violence. Government (Basque Nationalist Party trages for a year. The terrorist organi- In case violent events should hap- and Eusko Alkartasuna) have signed an zation has completely ceased their acti- pen in the future, those signing the agreement with Euskal Herritarrok, in vities during this year. This fact together agreement declare their determination which this political group takes the en- with Euskal Herritarrok’s commitment to to face them politically and their com- gagement of supporting the Basque take part in Basque public life unfolds a mitment to use only strictly democratic Government in the Basque Parliament. new stage in Basque politics and it sets means; they also express their deter- The agreement was reached after the bases for achieving lasting peace in mination to make all kinds of actions months of negotiations and it provides Euskadi. and reactions interfering with indivi- a stable framework to the Basque The main articles of the agreement dual and collective rights disappear Government, which did not have the promoted by Lehendakari Juan José forever. majority at the Parliament. According Ibarretxe are explained in the chapter Lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe to Euskal Herritarrok, the third political named “Political principles of the bases pointed out during the presentation of party in Euskadi, this agreement will agreement”. The chapter has three arti- this agreement that parliamentary sta- last for the whole legislature, that is, un- cles entirely reproduced on the next pa- bility was not the main objective of the til 2002. ge. agreement; he explained that the pact The pact has an obvious conse- itself became an invaluable asset for the quence: it brings about the participa- peace process the Basque Country is tion of Herri Batasuna –which goes to undergoing. this election under the name Euskal “This agreement is a guarantee for Herritarrok– in Basque public life. This • Benetako pakea gero Basque society to achieve a project of fact implies a substantial change for eta hurbilago dago. coexistence. Basque society has suffe- Euskadi. For the first time since demo- red too much and that is why it is inte- cracy was restored after Franco’s dicta- rested in having its government provi-

5 POLITICS POLITIKA

The main aspects of the Agreement

Political and democratic means

✓ We insist that we have unmistakably chosen exclusively political and democratic methods to solve the political struggle existing in Euskal Herria. ••• ✓ Therefore, and considering the hope and expectations generated in Basque society after ETA’s decision last September, we defend the total disappearance of all actions and manifestations of violence. ••• ✓ Given the present framework of political principles and aware of the possible difficul- ties that could spring during the development of this process, we acknowledge our obligation to face them and we declare we will channel all our energies all our ideas and reactions through strictly democratic procedures. We are determined to make all kinds of actions and reactions interfering with individual or collective rights disappear forever. ■

ding stability and means to achieve las- asked the Popular Party and the 81% of the population think this ting peace. Peace has ceased being a Socialist Party to “banish confrontation pact is an important step toward peace wish to become a reality”, declared and give peace a chance”. in the Basque Country and 64% believe Juan José Ibarretxe. “We are in a new stage now and the signature of this pact proves that EH The Lehendakari underlined once we have to prove to society that it is has definitely chosen to take part in all more that the Basque Government be- worth the effort and that we can make the democratic institutions. longs to all and that it works for all a country all together for all of us. It is 62% of the population believe we Basques. He pointed out that the main only when we really want something now have all the necessary conditions axes of the government during this le- that we get it”, he added. for all political parties to sit around a gislature will be the consolidation of pe- new Peace Table, whereas 25% think ace, the development of all necessary these conditions are not all present policies in order to promote employ- BASQUE SOCIETY WANTS THE yet. ment, the financial support of the AGREEMENT Lehendakari Juan José Ibarretxe Basque Agreement for Employment encouraged all political parties to spa- (signed between unions and business- This agreement has been very ho- re no effort in the path of dialogue and men), the promotion of a better quality pefully accepted by Basque society, ac- agreement as a means to work for pe- of life and education and achieving a cording to a poll done by the ace. He also entreated Basque politi- higher level of self-government for the Presidency of the Basque Government. cians to perform a verbal disarmament, Basque Country. This survey indicates that 73% of the for parties such as PP, PSOE and Ibarretxe encouraged the public not Basques think it is good for the Basque Alavan Unity have received the agree- to lose perspective and to admit that Country, as opposed to 12% that consi- ment accusing the Basque Government “the Basque Country is now in a better der it neither good nor bad, and 6% of organizing fronts in order to exclude situation than only a year ago” and he who think it is bad. those who have different ideas.

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The agreement was signed in one of the rooms of the Basque Government Presidency.

Ibarretxe has publicly demanded that • Herritarren %81ak wing bases for the peace process: fin- the agreements be respected and that hitzarmena pake bidean ding non-violent environments, commit- the democratic performance of Basque aurrerapauso garrantzitsua ting to the defense of all ideas by poli- institutions ceases to be called into tical means, looking for an ethical re- question, for “none of these accusations izango dela uste du. generation with the victims of terrorism is based on reality”. and violence, gradually disarming ver- The Lehendakari has repeatedly ur- bal exchanges and finally giving a new ged the political parties to start a dialo- orientation to penitentiary policies. gue and negotiation process including • Akordioa izenpetu In relation to this last matter, du- all political groups as a contribution to zuten buruzagiek ring the last few weeks the a lasting peace. Ibarretxe has pointed Lehendakari has pointed out that the out that there are many more things hitzarmenaren izaera Government of the State has failed to uniting the political parties than sepa- historikoa azpimarratu comply with a resolution passed by the rating them, and that they all have the zuten, alderdi guztiek Congress of Deputies in Madrid. This responsibility of not disappointing ideiak bide demokratikoak resolution urged Aznar’s government Basque society in its huge expectations erabiliz defendatuko to elaborate a new orientation –more of a peaceful coexistence born of the flexible and with more consensus- for reconciliation of all Basques. dituzten lehen aldia the penitentiary policies for impriso- Ibarretxe has established the follo- izango baita. ned ETA members. ■ Building Peace

Dozens of thousands of Basque citizens took part last April in a demonstration in Bilbao organized by the parties and unions who signed the Lizarra agreement. Walking behind a banner that read “Bakea eraikitzen. Euskal Herriak du hitza” (Building peace. Euskal Herria must decide), they showed they supported the peace process. The leaders of the seven political parties and the seven unions that had organized it led the demonstration. Behind them there was a representation of the Basque Government chaired by vice-Lehendakari Idoia Zenarruzabeitia, and for- med by four other consultants. At the end of the demonstration a release was read de- claring that “Euskal Herria has strongly and determinedly chosen a process that leads to the resolution of the political struggle and to peace”. “Nobody can prevent or put obs- tacles to the free will of Basque citizens. Euskal Herria must decide” and the demonstration ended with these final words. ■