Seven Basque candidates convicted of terrorism resign from regional elections

USPA NEWS - Spain is immersed in a controversy related to the local and regional elections that will be held on May 28, after the announcement that seven candidates from the Basque Country were convicted of murders by the terrorist group ETA. The seven resigned this Tuesday to attend the elections, announcing that, if they are elected, they will not collect their minutes or take possession of their seats.

The Prosecutor's Office had announced the presentation of a complaint by the organization of victims of the terrorist group ETA 'Dignidad y Justicia' against the presence on the electoral lists of the Basque independence party Bildu of 44 candidates convicted for their membership of ETA, including seven convicted of blood crimes. The seven announced this Tuesday that they will in no way collect their minutes or take possession of their seats if they are elected.

After the announcement, the Socialist Party considered that the resignation "is part of the journey that remains to be done" for Bildu. The spokesman for the Socialist Party, Patxi López, considered that the seven convicted of blood crimes "should never have been on the electoral lists." For his part, the leader of the conservative Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, stated that "democracy, dignity and decency have been imposed, despite Pedro Sánchez [Prime Minister], who chose to leave the Spanish alone."

From the pro-independence side, the general coordinator of Bildu, Arnaldo Otegi, "applauded" the resignation of the seven candidates and pointed out that all the members of their electoral lists are committed to political paths and subscribe to the declaration of recognition of the victims. For the Basque independence leader, the controversy generated has been promoted by the extreme right. Otegi considered that Bildu should have avoided the controversy, which causes "anxiety" in political sectors that are committed to the normalization of the Basque Country.