Parties seek ways to isolate Bildu

The political parties on Wednesday continued their post-election scrimmage to find partnerships in the Basque Country to head off the possibility of Bildu forces from running any municipal governments.

Bildu, the coalition made up of Basque radical abertzale left officials and the Euska Alkartasuna (EA) and Alternatiba parties, is now the second-largest political force in the Basque Country and the third in Navarre. It is actively seeking partnerships with the major parties to form governments in at least 25 municipalities. But Popular Party (PP) leader Mariano Rajoy has said he won't allow talks with anyone from Bildu, and Basque Socialist (PSE) regional premier Patxi López has called on the Basque National Party (PNV) and the PP to form coalitions to prevent Bildu from governing.

"Of course we have to fight them even though they had the most votes," said San Sebastián's Socialist mayor Odón Elorza, who lost Sunday's race and wants to keep Bildu from governing in his city.

In Guipúzcoa, where Bildu made large gains, the coalition is expected to control seven of the eight municipal councils if the PNV doesn't seal pacts with the PSE or PP.

Bildu took 276,134 votes in the Basque Country, turning it into the second political force in the region after the PNV, which received 325,968 votes. The PSE and the PP took 177,248 and 146,729 votes respectively.

In Navarre, Bildu came in third with 37,017 votes behind the Navarre People's Union (UPN), which got 88,138 ballots and the Socialists who received 50,491.

For his part, Juan Carlos Izagirre, the Bildu candidate for mayor of San Sebastián, said it would take time to heal the wounds caused by ETA and Basque radicals. "There isn't a family in this country that hasn't suffered one way or another and we have to learn to co-exist." When asked if he would publicly condemn any violence brought on by the Basque terrorist group if it should break its latest ceasefire, Izagirre said: "If it occurs, which we believe it won't, judging by the current scenario, a condemnation would have to come."

For his part in testimony before the High Court on Tuesday, ETA terrorist Valentín Lasarte called on the group "to disband and give up the armed struggle."

Rodolfo Ares, the interior chief in the Basque region, said on Wednesday that it would "depend on" Bildu whether the regional police force would be called in to investigate or keep tabs on any of its members who were elected on Sunday.

"I am confident that all of the parties respect the law and human rights," Ares told the regional parliament.