PRESENTATION IN GERNIKA 25th April

ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE’S NETWORK IN FAVOUR OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY’S RIGHT TO SELF DETERMINATION

The elected members subscribing to this document; with deep democratic beliefs of internationalist vision between people; with the basic principle of the people’s right to decide their own destiny using political dialogue and agreement as the only appropriate tool to resolve the conflict; we state our intention to work so that the conflict resolution process commenced in the Basque Country responds to the Basque Country’s non prescriptive right to self determination, as well as to definitively end the serious and tragic consequences of this long and hard conflict at the heart of Europe.

We firmly believe that the Basque Country has its own identity, it’s own specific historic, social and cultural characteristics (as with other countries), as well as an enriching plurality within it that throughout the centuries, is suffering a rejection process towards its identity and decision-making, for which the Basques have suffered the violation of the most basic rights in the absence of a national democratic framework where all the rights of all the people are respected.

The historical process of assimilation, with all the instruments that a state can use, has always encountered resistance from Basque society. This forced resistance, which the Basque Country has endured, now we have a conflict of violent character, which has resulted in the death of over a thousand people, the imprisonment of six hundred political prisoners, thousands of forced exiles and many thousand of people suffering repression.

But, as history shows us, any natural political conflict necessitates a solution of political nature in the form of an integrated agreement and inclusive of all those involved. Therefore we believe that this conflict can only be solved through an inclusive political dialogue in which both the civil and political rights of the Basque people, as well as the political sensitivities of the Basque Country, are recognised in the dialogue and agreement process .

A process of dialogue and negotiation can only evolve in democratic conditions and in the absence of all violence, so that all the civil & political rights of the citizens are guaranteed and all the parties act on an equal level and with full enjoyment of their rights.

The creation of minimum of democratic condition requires the end of emergency laws, special courts, the reinstatement of basic political rights and liberties, the end of current penitentiary politics applied to political prisoners, the end of the repressive actions and all armed activities.
A multi party dialogue process necessarily must deal with the root of the Basque conflict, that is the way to exercise the undeniable right of self determination for the Basque Country.

We firmly believe that the decision about the present and future of the Basques people relates to all those who live and work, irrespective of their origin, religion, identity or ideological beliefs. The future of Basque Country must be decided, without any limit, for those who are part, in a democratic way, previously agreed between all the agents, who must respect the will of the citizens with whom they must consult. To the Spanish and French states, to the international community, it corresponds to them; it corresponds to us, its promotion and respect.

Also, this process must involve the release of all political prisoners dispersed in the jails of France and Spain, the right of return those exiled and the complete demilitarisation of our country.

The elected members, who form this network, understand that a clear positioning of the international community in favour of democratically negotiated solution that goes to the root of the problem is necessary. A position in favour of the solution based of the inalienable and undeniable right of the Basque people to be owner of their own destiny. A position in favour of dialogue and negotiation is the only valid instrument to resolve this long standing conflict. In this case, Europe can not longer ignore this question, as was demonstrated in the debate in the European parliament. The European Community cannot continue treating and deciding over conflicts outside of Europe while ignoring conflict which exists in the heart of Europe.

We commit to work in favour of a fair and durable peace in the Basque Country based on the right of the Basque people as owners of their own destiny, through national and international initiatives of monitoring, interpellation and support to the process.

“The people and the solidarity of people all around the world will have the last word, so be it” (Txiki’s – Basque volunteer executed by Franco- last testament before being executed)