SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

 Madrid, 22/08/2004 (SPS) Mr. Ricardo Gomez, coordinator of the initiative of the letter signed by 200 Spanish writer and addressed last July to Spanish President of Government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, announced that a new list of signatories will be publicised this September because of the adherence to this initiative of many figures of the world of culture, reported Algerian Press Agency, APS.

The initiators of this action are now collecting "many new signatures" of writers, artists and journalists, whose names will be publicised this September, indicated Mr. Gomez in an interview to the agency.

He underlined that famous names, of the "elite" of the literary and artistic sphere in Spain had joined the initiative. He named writers such as Rosa Regas, Manuel Rivas, Javier Reverte, Clara Janes, Ryszard Kapuscinsky, Rosa Montero, Suso de Toro, film-director Victor Erice and writer and singer, Jose Antonio Labordeta, among others.

This initiative, he added, will not be restricted to the world of culture, it will instead be opened to thousands of citizens who want to recall to the Government the need to "reach, as soon as possible, a solution to Saharawi plight after 30 years of exile in the desert within the framework of the right to self-determination, as reaffirmed in the Baker plan, which has the support of the United Nations in many occasions".
 
Concerning the position of the socialist Government in power in Spain regarding Western Sahara, he affirmed that the political vision of the Socialist Party (PSOE) "is incoherent". He noted that while "the Government tries to find a solution other than the Baker plan, many other official voices, within the party itself, claims for the recognition of the validity of this plan and recall that the only possible solution to Saharawi problem can but be based on the right to self-determination".

"I am convinced that any decision that excludes Saharawis from the table of negotiations will be subjected to strong objection within the PSOE itself by the mass members and by a wide range of the world of culture, without mentioning thousands and thousands of citizens", he asserted, underlining that it is "very important" that this reality be taken into consideration by the leaders of this party.
 
The position of the Government on this question, he emphasised, is about to develop taking the Baker plan as a necessary reference. The Baker plan, he emphasised, is "a vital reference" that can not be ignored in any search of settlement of the conflict in Western Sahara. He affirmed having expressed to the Vice-President of the Government, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, and to the Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Leire Pajin, the attachment of the women and men of culture in Spain to their position of principle on the Saharawi question.

Moreover, he underlined that the Spanish people "in general" is supporting the Saharawi people, recalling in this respect the 8000 Saharawi children of the refugees' camps received each year by Spanish families, within the framework of the "holidays in peace" programme, and the numerous proofs of support illustrated through humanitarian, social and educational projects implemented by Spanish autonomous communities, municipalities and cultural associations.
 
Mr. Gomez also stressed that many Spanish people are aware of "the historical and cultural links" that binds them with Saharawis, who often exhibit Spanish documents that were given to them in the past by the then Spanish colonial authority. "30 years ago, they were fishermen, soldiers, employees, translators and we abandoned them. It is impossible not to be sensitive to this fact", he said.
 
It should be recalled that a letter signed by some 200 writers, journalist and artist was addressed to Spanish President of Government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, and was delivered in the 19th July to the Moncloa Palace (seat of the presidency). In this letter the signatories called the Government to favour justice and international law in the settlement of the Western Sahara conflict. (SPS)

010/090/700/TRD 221719 August 04 SPS