Basque Autonomy Plan Set for Shock Victory http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36348-2004Dec30.htmlBasque Autonomy Plan Set for Shock VictoryReuters Thursday, December 30, 2004; 12:46 PM
VITORIA, Spain (Reuters) - A Basque proposal for virtual independence from Spain gained vital and unexpected support in the regional parliament on Thursday from Batasuna, a party banned as the political wing of armed separatists ETA.
The proposal by Basque premier Juan Jose Ibarretxe, a moderate nationalist, would enshrine the region's right to self-determination through a referendum and create a "status of free association" with Spain.
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