ELA : Pact is Needed

Today at Berria:

ELA union calls for minimum pact of those in favour of self-determination

They say a strategy is needed to fill the “gaps existing from a national viewpoint” in the Basque Autonomous Community Government’s proposal

Eider Goenaga – DONOSTIA (San Sebastian)

The National Committee of the trade union ELA has called for “a minimum agreement to be reached among the different bodies in favour of the right to self-determination;” and among the three conditions that have to be taken into consideration in the agreement, it has proposed initiating a “parallel strategy” to fill “the gaps existing from a national viewpoint” in the bill approved by the Government of the BAC [Basque Autonomous Community of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa]. This proposal is included in the declaration published by the ELA National Committee, which has assessed the BAC Government’s proposal for a new political statute.

In ELA’s view one positive point of the proposal for the new political statute is “to specify the principles on which the Basque nation’s right to self-determination is based,” and it also views the mere publishing of a codified text as positive: “because it makes the proposal more specific and leaves fewer opportunities for backing out.” Yet ELA says the agreement between the three political parties EAJ, EA and EB-IU “is not sufficient if a vitally important matter is to be confronted, and if the long-term bases for democratic coexistence and for resolving political conflict are to be established.” Despite acknowledging the “difficulties” for reaching agreement, ELA has called for a broader “minimum agreement” among the parties in favour of self-determination.

ELA believes that the “priority for the coming months” is the securing of this agreement, and has highlighted three aspects “that must be taken into consideration” when agreeing on the minimum points. The trade union is of the opinion that the proposal has to be “a plan for resolving the political conflict” and “all the parties which subscribe to the agreement have to regard it as useful and adequate for developing their own projects.”

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