Spanish people vote against war

The Spanish people spoke clearly yesterday, voting out the Partido Popular, which had backed Bush's murderous campaign in Iraq and voting in the PSOE (Socialist Worker's Party of Spain), which made a number of popular promises, among these to take Spanish troops out of Iraq.

This measure was confirmed this morning by the future Prime Minister, Josй Luнs Rodrigues Zapatero, who declared to the press that "The war in Iraq was a disaster, the occupation in Iraq is a disaster".

The involvement of Spain in the illegal war in Iraq was the fruit of the relationship between former Prime Minister Josй Maria Aznar and the Bush
regime in Washington. Unpopular from the beginning, the final straw seems to have been Thursday's horrific bomb attacks on civilians in rush-hour Madrid, provoking the slogan "Your war. Our death" to be seen on the streets.

Josй Zapatero has also declared, however, that no firm decision will be taken on Iraq before public consultations have been held, stating on Spanish Radio today that "Wars such as those which have occurred in Iraq only allow hatred, violence and terror to proliferate".

A 77% turn-out saw the PSOE vote grow from 34% in 2000 to 42%, while the PP shrank from 44,5% to 38% on Sunday. However, the PSOE does not have an absolute majority, which means that a lot of political trading is yet to take place with the minor parties.

These are Isquierda Unida (United Left) 5%; CiU (Convergencia I Iniу,
Catalunya) 3%; ERC (Catalunya Left Republican Party) 2,5%.

On the domestic front, the PSOE stands for a higher minimum salary (increasing to 600 Euro), more supplementary benefits for the poor, housing programmes and an increase in working conditions.

(To discuss the issue of withdrawing Spanish troops from Iraq at PRAVDA Forum, go to http://engforum.pravda.ru/showthread.php3?threadid=66239)