This file is a mirror of EUSKAL HERRIA JOURNAL by Basque Red Net.

The following text was provided by the international department of Herri Batasuna.

On February 6th, 1999, a number of mayors and councillors from the six Basque provinces held a meeting in Irunea (Pamplona), capital of Navarre. These political representatives came from both the North of the Pyreenees (in the French State) and the South (in the Spanish State), called by a group of 21 mayors from all the nationalist political parties.

It was the first time, in modern history, that Basques from all the Basque Country gathered to create a Basque national institution on a local basis. The aim of this institution is to enhace relations among the Basques of the six provinces, and to overcome the current division into three administrative bodies. There is actually a historic precedent in 1931, in Estella (Lizarra): the Assembly of Town-Councils, which was constituted by political representatives from the four Southern provinces. The purpose of this former Assembly was to work out the first autonomy project of the so-called Basque State.

The creation of the Assembly of Mayors and Councillors of the Basque Country lied on the fact that all the Basque nationalist forces confirmed first, that the autonomous framework set by the Spanish Constitution and the Statues of Autonomy divided the Basque Country into the Basque Autonomous Community and the Navarrese Community; second, that this framework denied the Basques' right to resolve their own destiny freely; and third, that it was not appropiate to meet the social, political, cultural and economic needs of the Basque people. This view was shared by most local officials in the Northern Basque Country, who claim their own Basque departement in the French State. This wide demand has not been met satisfactorily yet. The Basque ethos is not recognised and the problems of the Northern Basques have not yet been resolved. Anyway, the idea of a Basque departement in the French State is even backed by non-nationalist political parties.

As a result of this confirmation, the Basque parties, the majority unions and a wide range of grassroot organisations started to examine the current situation together and to collaborate on the national and social construction of the Basque Country. Thus, these groups wished to advance the way to sovereignty- that is, to gain more power to resolve their own destiny, the destiny of all the Basque provinces.

Thanks to this joint analysis and co-operation, these groups signed the Lizarra Garazi Agreement, expression of the Basque people's feeling, as well as of the political parties, trade unions and grass-root organisations. They all agreed that the political conflict in our country, resulting in a situation of violence, can only be resolved democratically, through dialogue and respect for the voice and decisions made by the Basques. As we have already said before, this settlement and the ETA's announcement of indefinite cessation brought about a new political situation, and increased co-operation among different political parties and groups. Clear examples of this collaboration are first, the social consensus to have the Basque political prisoners transferred to the Basque Country; second, the Government in Vitoria made up by the P.N.V. and E.A., and backed in Parliament by Euskal Herritarrok; and finally, the Assembly of Mayors and Councillors of the Basque Country.

The Assembly of Basque Mayors and Councillors sprang from the initiative of 21 nationalist mayors, who wished to reflect the ideologic plurality and the different political opitons in the Basque Country. The goal of this Assembly is creating a Basque national institution on a local basis, attesting to the existance of the Basque Country as a nation, as a different and plural country, in the north and south of the Pyrenees. Thus, it is testified the territorial integrity of the six Basque historic provinces.

The main task of this institution is promoting collaboration of the Basque Town-councils and councillors, so as to tackle mutual issues such as language, culture, sports, environment, land organisation, economic development, social welfare, etc. These officials want to share a diagnosis and measures, and to put forward proposals, which they could then suggest to other institutions and organisations.

Furthermore, in the process to turn the Basque Country, a natural community, into a political community, this national institution of local basis will analyse and discuss on the future political and institutional structuring of the Basque Country, taking into account that each Basque province is different and ruled in a different way.

This institution is conceived to be permanent, with specific goals, and not to replace or become any other body. Moreover, it emerges in a given international situation, within the European Union under construction. One of its main goals is to spread the existance of the Basque Country worldwide, and to take part as a different country in the European community and its institutions. In this way, for the first time, the voice of all the Basques would be heard, and their demands would be answered.

MAYORS CALL ON BASQUE LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES TO ATTEND THE MEETING ON 6 FEBRUARY 1999.

BASQUE COUNTRY, 25 January 1999

Dear Mr or Mrs Mayor,

At this new promising and hopeful political stage in our villages and cities, the undersigned, Mayors in 21 Town Halls in the Basque Country, understand that the Town-Councils must be an active part of the current process and must thus devote our daily political work and duties to the task of building a future of peace, democracy and freedom for the Basque People. On the threshold of the XXIth century, in a complex world submitted to such factors as the economic globalisation, great changes and transformations in every field, and when a Europe is under construction, with new States joining it, the citizens of Lapurdi, Zuberoa, Nafarroa, Araba, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia are determined to form a common representative institution in order to jointly express that we all belong to the Basque Country.

There is no doubt that the political life in the Basque Country has been traditionally rooted in local administrations, which have also had a clear leading role in defending the rights of the Basque Country. Today, like yesterday, local management is a reference point on the process of institutional structuring of our country, since it is the only judicial-political institution which extends over the six Basque territories.

The local councillors claim recognition of the territorial integrity of the Basque Country. A joint action can be a significant initiative for the unity of the Basque political community and in its international hold. In addition, having a common diagnosis on the situation, our daily work in our local councils will allow us be together when meeting the needs and challenges we share at the cultural, economic, linguistic and social level.

Therefore, recognising diversity in Basque society, respecting the character of the different historic territories, as well as Basque people's right to freely decide their own destiny, eager to promote and lead a process to deepen democracy, we invite you and the political parties' spokemen in your Town-hall, to attend the meeting to be held on February 6th, 1999, at 11.00 a.m., at Carlos III cinema, placed in Cortes de Navarra Street n. 7, in Iruna. Our aim is to analyse how adequate or necessary is a Basque National Institution based on local administrations.

We look forward to see you there,

Yours faithfully,

Signatories:

J.A. CUERDA MONTOYA (Gasteiz)
I. ARESO MENDIGUREN (Bilbo)
J. OTXANDIO IZAGIRRE (Basauri)
J. JAUREGI BEREZIARTUA (Beasain)
J.L. ETXEGARAI ANDUEZ (Lesaka)
J.A. ALTUNA AIZPURUA (Usurbil)
F. FLORES LAZKOZ (Etxarri-Aranaz)
P. GONZALEZ ARGOMANIZ (Urretxu)
J. HERNANDORENA CALANTE (Trucios)
JOANES GOYHENETXE (Ostankoa)
J.L. CAMPO VALLE (Berriozar)
MĒ DEL Y. URKIJO ELORZA (Laudio)
H. CIRARDA ORTIZ DE ARTINANO (Getxo)
J.M. BASTIDA ARRIETA (Azpeitia)
J.A. AGIRREBENBOA IMAZ (Altsasu)
J. ANITZ DEHERE (Sara)
J. INARRA AGIRREZABALA (Oiartzun)
G. MENDIETA ZELAIA (Aulesti)
I. BERAZA ZUBIAUR (Agurain)
F.J. OIARTZABAL IRIGOIEN (Baztan)
JEAN MICHEL GALAN (Azkarate)

STATEMENT OF OFFICIALS IN THE BASQUE TOWN HALLS GATHERED IN IRUŅA ON FEBRUARY 6TH

We, mayors and councillors of Lapurdi, Zuberoa, Nafarroa, Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, have gathered in Irunea today in order to hold a democratic meeting, based on the power given by those who elected us and on the rights of assembly and freedom of speech. This meeting is aimed to be genuinely democratic, in spite of the preceding distorting campaing that attempted to impede it and promote confrontation among Basque people.

On behalf of our people, from different judicial-political frameworks, we wish to rightfully foster relations among the Basque people in the six provinces. We deem it essential to overcome the current land division into three administrative bodies, since this partition hinders global development of our People and our capability to face up to the challenges of the XXIth century.

We live in a complex world dependent on such factors as economic, cultural, social globalisation, etc.; we are at a historic moment of great changes and transformations in every field, within a growing Europe under construction. Hence, we find it essential to help the business of building a new future with our Basque town-councils' experience, since local institutions have always had a leading role in the political life of our Nation.

Moreover, following the promising and hopeful political situation emerging in our villages and cities, it is crucial that local representatives grasp the new opportunities before them, joining our political daily work to the task of building a future of peace, democracy and freedom for the Basque People.

Therefore, we, local officials of the Basque Country, express our will to constitute a Basque national institution on a local basis, to seek the following goals:

1. Attesting to the existence of the Basque Country as a nation.

2. Promoting the political essential structure of the Basque Country, testifying to its territorial integrity, in order to gather the local representatives of the six Basque provinces in a common framework.

3. This Assembly is devised to be a permanent institution, in order to join different wills, and not to replace any other body. On a national basis, it will foster political dynamics, analysis and discussion on the future political and institutional organisation of the Basque Country. This body will be anyway implemented through a democratic process involving all the Basques, from the respect for the different personalities and systems in each Basque province.

4. Enhancing constructive inter-relations among the town-councils in the six provinces, open to all the officials working within the natural community of the Basque Country. The aim of this Assembly is to favour Basque officials' joint action when tackling those fields that define us as a political, cultural, sociologic and economic community, such as our language, culture, sports, environment, land organisation, economic development, social welfare, etc. First of all, our aim is to work out a common diagnosis on the Basque Country and then, to face up to the challenges of national construction together, homogenously; besides, we wish to put forward specific proposal to other institutions, grassroots groups and organisations, thus to foster dynamics of social participation.

5. Letting people worldwide know that the Basque Country exists as a different nation, and thus, that we want to take part as such in the future European community and its institutions.

IRUNEA, 6 February 1999

Data on the attendance at this assembly:

Araba: 63 local representatives, out of which 16 were mayors, representing 25 municipalities.
Bizkaia: 256 local representatives, out of 76 were mayors, representing 96 municipalities.
Gipuzkoa: 206 local representatives, out of which 56 were mayors, representing 79 municipalities.
Nafarroa: 123 local representatives, out of which 29 were mayors, representing 88 municipalities.
Iparralde (Basque Country under French jurisdiction): 22 local representatives, out of which 6 were mayors, representing 16 municipalities.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT HERRI BATASUNA
EUSKAL HERRIA, FEBRUARY 1999