US embassy cable - 05MADRID433

UNCLAS MADRID 000433 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, PGOV, PTER, SP, Basque Region 
SUBJECT: BASQUE LEADER CALLS EARLY ELECTIONS AFTER 
PARLIAMENT REJECTS AUTONOMY PLAN 
 
REF: MADRID 344 
 
1.  On February 1, the Spanish National Parliament decisively 
rejected Plan Ibarretxe, the Basque proposal for reform of 
the GOS-Basque autonomy statute.  (See reftel).  After a 
marathon debate, the Basque proposal was voted down 313 to 
29.  The Socialists, Popular Party and other national parties 
opposed Plan Ibarretxe, which only drew the support of small 
regional parties, including the Basque Nationalist Party 
(PNV). 
 
2.  On February 2, an extraordinary session of the Basque 
Parliament was convened in which Ibarretxe called for new 
elections for the Basque Regional Parliament.  The elections 
have been set for April 17, approximately three weeks earlier 
than previously scheduled.  Ibarretxe denied that the vote is 
intended as a "virtual referendum," but he clearly intends to 
win a majority for the PNV in the Basque Parliament by 
stoking Basque nationalist sentiment.  Ibarretxe also 
publicly requested that Batasuna, ETA's political wing, be 
allowed to participate in the April elections.  The GOS 
rejected any participation by Batasuna or other ETA front 
groups. 
 
3.  Comment.  Both the rejection of Plan Ibarretxe in the 
National Parliament and the subsequent call for new Basque 
elections came as no surprise.  The key unknown factor is how 
far Ibarretxe is willing to go in carrying out what would now 
be an illegal referendum on Basque autonomy.  Despite any new 
developments in the Basque Region, the GOS and the majority 
of the Spanish public will continue to oppose significant 
revision of the autonomy statutes.  End Comment. 
MANZANARES