SAHARA PRESS SERVICE

Bilbao, 27/07/2004 (SPS) The President of the Eusko Alkartasuna (EA) –a Basque social democrat political party-, Begona Erratzi, condemned Sunday the position maintained by Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) in power towards the Saharawi people, calling the Head of Spanish Government, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, to support the organisation of a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara.

Mrs. Erratzi called Zapatero to reconsider his party's policy by putting right the position adopted by his socialist predecessor, Felipe González,  who "betrayed" the Saharawi people when he "backed Moroccan Royal Palace". She also exhorted Spanish Government to assume its historical responsibility in the process of the decolonisation of Western Sahara.

Moreover, the Basque nationalist leader demanded to the Spanish socialist Government to respect the will of the Spanish population, who are in general supporters of Saharawi cause. The Spanish Government must "desert Moroccan thesis regarding Western Sahara", she said, adding that such thesis are an offence to the peoples of Spain.

"There is an attempt to deprive Saharawi people from deciding over their future through referendum and build the State of Western Sahara. We can not keep accepting this violation of human rights, nor can we accept the illegal occupation of Western Sahara by Morocco", she warned.

On another hand, she considered that there is an attempt to "annihilate" the Saharawi people in the occupied territories, while Saharawi refugees continue living precarious conditions in exile.

The Basque association of solidarity with the Saharawi people, "Sahela", organised today (Sunday) a demonstration at the Lekeito Place, to which an important delegation of the EA took part besides other important Basque political and civil society's figures, to demand the organisation of a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara, has announced a communique publicised by the organisers. (SPS)

020/090/000/TRD 271310 July 04 SPS