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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rascal who wrote (126184)	3/14/2004 10:22:34 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

Anger Over Attack Puts Spain's Socialists in Power reuters.com Sun Mar 14, 2004 09:19 PM ET By Adrian Croft MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's opposition Socialists have swept to power in a sensational election upset sparked by popular 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 for his unswerving support for the United States and has threatened to pull out 1,300 Spanish troops from Iraq. 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. Hours before polling began on Sunday, the government revealed it had a videotape, purportedly from Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda, saying it carried out the coordinated attacks in retaliation for Spain's support for the United States. Protesters shouted "Liar" and "Get our troops out of Iraq" at PP prime ministerial candidate Mariano Rajoy when he voted. 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. 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. The Socialists looked set to win 164 seats in the lower house of parliament, 12 short of those needed for an absolute majority, meaning they will have to negotiate alliances with smaller regional parties in order to govern. The Socialists gained 39 seats compared with the last election while the PP saw its seats drop to 148 from 183. 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. CONTROVERSY AFTER ATTACKS Controversy over the government's handling of the bombing of four commuter trains three days before the election clearly helped swing the election Zapatero's way. "The government has paid the price for its involvement in the war in Iraq, for Aznar's relationship with (U.S. President George) W. Bush and (British Prime Minister) Tony Blair. The vote has been a reaction to this," said Carlos Berzosa, rector of Madrid's Complutense University. "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. Many Spaniards suspected that the government was not being open about the investigation of the attacks while initially directing blame toward the armed Basque separatist group ETA, which denied involvement. Analysts had warned that the PP could be hit if voters believed al Qaeda had mounted its first attack in Europe in reprisal for Spain's support for the Iraq war. Three Moroccans and two Indians were arrested in connection with the attack on Saturday. Thousands took to the streets on Saturday night, surrounding PP headquarters in several cities and demanding to be "told the truth" about the bombings. 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. Some Spaniards were vitriolic in accusing Aznar of "manipulating" public opinion over the bombings. 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 security chiefs as possible al Qaeda involvement in the Madrid bombings triggered alarm bells across the world. From Paris to Warsaw, governments across Europe tightened security at borders, railways and airports. (Additional reporting by Madrid bureau, Gilles Trequesser in Rabat and Peter Graff in London) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © Copyright Reuters 2004.