Anger Over Attack Puts Spain's Socialists in Power
Mon Mar 15, 2:11 AM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Adrian Croft
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's opposition Socialists prepared for power on Monday after a sensational election upset sparked by anger over the government's handling of a suspected al Qaeda attack on commuter trains that killed 200 people.
Voters ousted the center-right Popular Party (PP), which until Thursday's coordinated attacks had looked certain to win a third consecutive term in power in Sunday's poll.
Spain's next prime minister will be 43-year-old Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who has criticized outgoing premier Jose Maria Aznar's unswerving support for U.S. foreign policy and has threatened to pull out 1,300 Spanish troops from Iraq.
"Spain punishes the PP and places its confidence in Zapatero," said El Mundo newspaper on Monday's front page, slamming the government for attempting to play down evidence of al Qaeda's involvement in the bombing of four commuter trains.
With President Bush (news - web sites) facing re-election later this year, the unprecedented swing in the Spanish ballot may be closely watched internationally. It was the first time in Spain's modern democratic history a party had lost power after holding an absolute majority.
"The result wasn't due to the economy, or to the government's management in general...it was just due to the attack," Antonio Tena, a 26-year-old civil engineer, said on Sunday evening, lamenting the PP's loss.
With almost all votes counted, the Socialists had won 42.6 percent of the vote to the PP's 37.6 percent as voters turned out in large numbers to reaffirm their faith in democracy amid the upheaval over the bombings which also injured 1,500 people.
With 164 seats in the lower house of parliament, 12 short of those needed for an absolute majority, the Socialists will need to negotiate alliances with smaller regional parties or left-wing allies in order to govern.
But the PP will remain by far the largest single party in the upper house or Senate, potentially making it difficult for a Socialist government to pass legislation.
The Socialists' surprise win sparked wild rejoicing among their supporters after eight years out of power.
"It's like a dream...Now things are going to change, and change for the better in every sense," said Carlos del Puerto, a 24-year-old mechanic.
Spain's financial markets were expected to open sharply lower on Monday amid the evidence of al Qaeda's involvement in the bombing and uncertainties over Zapatero's economic agenda.
Zapatero's first thought after winning was to remember those killed in Thursday's attack and to pledge his immediate priority would be "fighting terrorism."
"Right now, I am thinking about all the lives broken by terror on Thursday," he said, asking a crowd of excited supporters to respect a minute's silence.
Zapatero said his "government of change" would be marked by dialogue and transparency. He is expected to be a much more conciliatory politician than the hard-line Aznar.
Hours before polling began on Sunday, the government revealed it had a videotape, purportedly from Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al Qaeda, saying it carried out the attacks in retaliation for Spain's support for the U.S.-led war on Iraq.
Protesters shouted "Liar" and "Get our troops out of Iraq" at PP prime ministerial candidate Mariano Rajoy when he voted.
"The government has paid the price for its involvement in the war in Iraq, for Aznar's relationship with Bush and (British Prime Minister) Tony Blair (news - web sites). The vote has been a reaction to this," said Carlos Berzosa, rector of Madrid's Complutense University.
Britain pledged close cooperation with the new Spanish government, but Foreign Minister Jack Straw was quick to say the rail bombs were not linked to Spain's involvement in Iraq.
"One thing I am clear about is that al Qaeda will go on and would have gone on irrespective of the war in Iraq, until they are firmly stopped," Straw told the Financial Times newspaper.
Many Spaniards thought the government was not being open about the probe into the attacks while initially blaming the armed Basque separatist group ETA, which denied involvement.
Three Moroccans and two Indians were arrested on Saturday in connection with the attack.
Spanish voters, many wearing the black ribbon symbols of national grief since Thursday's attack, turned out in large numbers on Sunday. Turnout soared to 77.2 percent from 68.7 at the last general election in 2000.
Aznar, retiring as prime minister and hailing a solid economy and greater clout for a country restored to the international mainstream three decades after Franco's dictatorship ended, had taken a tough line against ETA.
Germany called on Sunday for an urgent meeting of European Union (news - web sites) security chiefs as possible al Qaeda involvement in the Madrid bombings triggered alarm bells across the world. (Additional reporting by Madrid bureau, Gilles Trequesser in Rabat and Peter Graff in London)
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