Madrid open to Basque premier's ETA-prisoner transfer proposal

Spanish government spokesman José Blanco said Friday that the ruling Socialists would consider a public proposal by Basque regional leader Patxi López on the possibility of transferring ETA convicts to jails closer to home if the Basque terrorist group announces a definitive ceasefire.

Penitentiary policy officially falls under central government control, not regional, but Blanco noted that it is the result of a joint consensus between both governments, thus lending credence to López's proposal.

López, who is also a Socialist, was involved in the last negotiation between the government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and ETA in 2006 before being elected regional premier. Those talks eventually failed, and the government said ETA had to lay down its weapons before any further talks could take place.

The Socialist candidate for prime minister in the November 20 general elections, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, avoided saying whether he agreed with López's proposal, stating only that the Basque premier must be "carefully" heard out. "It is a road map that we have to read and listen to," he said about his 10-point proposal.

The Socialists are widely expected to lose the elections to the conservative Popular Party over their perceived mismanagement of the economic crisis. The PP said about López's plan that it opposes anything that seems like "an offer" to ETA in exchange for its decision to formally disband.