Basques send mixed message

Basque Nationalists kept control of the Basque regional government yesterday, but with fewer seats and after a disappointing response to their proposals for greater autonomy.

The Communist Party of the Basque Lands, a pro-independence group endorsed by the outlawed Batasuna party, the political wing of Eta, won an unexpected eight seats, one better than Batasuna in the old parliament.

President Juan José Ibarretxe's Nationalists sought a convincing mandate to press the federal government into talks on his plan for autonomy verging on independence, but with 99% of the votes counted his party and a moderate ally had only 29 of the 75 seats, down from 33, the interior ministry said.

Maite Aranburu, a CPBL candidate, said: "During the campaign we said we would be the big surprise and that's how it turned out."

Pernando Barrena of Batasuna said the result opened "a scenario for self-determination" and the other parties now had no choice but to negotiate with the supporters of outright independence.

The Basque branch of the Socialist party, which forms the federal government, replaced the Popular party in second place, up from 13 to 18 seats.