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Euskal Herria Journal
http://www.freespeech.org/ehj

SPAIN'S AZNAR DEMANDS PERMANENT ETA TRUCE

B.I. Euskal Herria, December 18, 1998

Spain's president Jose Maria Aznar said on Friday that "possibilities
continue to exist for consolidating the current situation for an end to
the violence" and demanded from ETA to transform its open-ended truce into
a permanent one.

"It is the cornerstone on which we can build the process of
normalization," said Aznar who refuses to discuss Basque
self-determination with ETA or anybody else.

The Basque resistance organization Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA, Basque
Homeland and Freedom) implemented an indenifite, unilateral truce without
conditions on Sept 18 but said it would not give up its arms and retained
the right to retaliate against any aggression.

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar proposed a "peace process" without
political negotiations and promised to be more "flexible" in its prisoner
policy if ETA makes its truce a permanent one.

Although ETA has not yet renounced armed struggle, Aznar said the
government believes "there is still the possibility that the current
situation of an open-ended cease-fire can be consolidated."

He did not elaborate but government spokesman Josep Pique disclosed later
that "significant contacts" were at the root of Aznar's optimism. Pique
also said that because of the "new contacts," the government will move 21
of its nearly 500 Basque political prisoners to mainland jails 900-1200 km
from southern Basque Country.

Aznar's declaration in front of the Moncloa presidential palace did not
mention the transfer of 21 Basque political prisoners to mainland jails
announced earlier on Friday by the Ministry of Interior.

The Spanish government has ruled out any political debate on Basque
self-determination in possible talks with ETA. Madrid said it will only
negotiate a solution to its Basque political prisoners and terms for ETA
to surrender its weapons, but nothing more. "In the peace process this is
all there is to talk about," government spokesman Josep Pique said last
month.

But Herri Batasuna says only talks from a political basis can lead to a
long lasting peace.

Basque politicians said the planned transfer was not enough and Aznar
needed to take bolder action to move the
Bascongadas region toward "peace" (euphemism for prisoners-for-peace).

Euskadi Ta Askatasuna has so far honoured its unilateral cease-fire and
taken a cautious stand since the truce went into effect.

ETA reaffirmed its truce on Nov 5 and said a permanent cease-fire would
depend on "future developments and advances" (within the Basque
nationalist community) and Spain "has shown few signs of its sincerity."
Although ETA set no specific conditions for a permanent truce, it
reasserted its longstanding call for a Basque referendum on
self-determination which the Spanish government says it would never allow.

Aznar is expected to give an "evaluation" of his "peace process" within
the next few days, Spanish media reported on Friday.

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