In Stanford

Despite the mud slinging campaign by Zapatero and one of Aznar's underlings living in the USA, Ibarretxe was able to talk at Stanford University.

The note covering the event was published by EITb:

Politics

Talk in Stanford

The right to decide is the key to the solution-Basque PM Ibarretxe

02/15/2008

During a conference in the U.S. university of Stanford, the Basque PM denounced the reduction of the civil and political rights in the Basque Country and defended the right of the Basques to decide their own future.



Basque Prime Minister Juan José Ibarretxe said the right of the Basque people to decide their own future is the key to the solution of the political conflict in the Basque Country, a right that "inspired the Declaration of Independence of the United States".

In a conference hosted by the U.S. University of Stanford in a crowded auditorium, Ibarretxe talked about the political situation in the Basque Country and explained his route map to find a solution to the political conflict in the Basque Country.

"The recognition of the right of the Basque people to decide their own future and the commitment to exercise this right through agreement and negotiation is the key to the solution", Ibarretxe said.

The Basque PM pointed out that "sometimes the Spanish Government claims that this right to decide divides Basque society." "What really divides Basque society is not to have the right to decide our own future", Ibarretxe added.

Ibarretxe said he was convinced that the "violence of ETA can not be combated by narrowing democracy but by broadening it."

The Basque PM denounced violence could not be used "as an excuse for the indiscriminate reduction of civil and political rights" in a true democracy.

"Unfortunately, Spain has promoted the closure of newspapers and other media and the use of special laws to exclude a part of Basque society from its institutions. This, in the opinion of most of the Basque society, does not bring a solution closer, but makes it more difficult to achieve", Ibarretxe explained.

Despite the controversy surfaced before the visit took place, only about ten people rallied outside the Stanford auditorium to protest against the visit of the Basque PM. The protesters were holding a banner reading "ETA kilss, Ibarretxe negotiates".

Now, if he could convince the members of his PNV political formation we could finally be on the right path.

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