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

Herri Batasuna:
Basis for a National Accord

Summary of the document Basis for a National Accord debated by the National Assembly of Herri Batasuna on May 31, 1998

When we talked about the exhaustion of the current legal-political framework, we are making considerations about a problem of jurisdiction; what we reaffirmed is that this model of self-government is finished, that this model based on the division of the territory and the negation of sovereignty does not give anything more.

We spoke of the exhaustion of this model of self-government which came out of the Spanish Constitution, and the strategic mechanisms they use to weaken and finally renationalize our nation.

Here is our victory: although with different arguments, nowadays nobody proposes the present model as a valid one to solve the conflict between Euskal Herria and the Spanish state.

The words of Arzalluz and Ardanza [members of the conservative Basque Nationalist Party which governs Bascongadas] affirming that they would change the Stormont agreement for the Statute [limited autonomy for three Basque provinces known as Bascongadas] proves that here the problem is not about jurisprudence but sovereignty.

Nation-building

We are for nation-building and have made advances , but they are not sufficient. Still there is much resistance in our towns and neighborhoods.

It is convenient though, to remember which are the pillars of this strategy.

Tactical and strategic repression

We have placed repression in a very classic scheme: torture, imprisonment, arrests, beatings... And we have not realized that it is a mechanism that the enemy has used as a tactic and, meanwhile, it is carrying out another repressive strategy, against the basic foundations which sustain our national project: euskara, models of education, our economy, our symbols.

We have to remember both aspects of repression, as well as the importance of responding firmly, and to articulate the mechanisms of defense in both stages.

Unite forces

It is evident that the motor for building Euskal Herria has to be the abertzale left [Basque nationalist left] but, at the same time, it also is evident that we alone cannot move forward such a project. Knowing clearly our personality and maintaining and demanding that everyone's strategy is to be respected, we must build common spaces of work with political parties, social movements, labor unions, to make advances in various areas (prisoners, Basque language... ). Those fields of work, in addition, have to open the doors for analysis and mobilization or for institutional collaboration.

The collaboration mentioned offers the possibility for new dynamics about the conflict in general. But we did not propose bridges of communication for facing the conflict globally (although we did not avoid it either), but concentrating on the daily task of nation-building.

Such a dynamic of communication, with respect to diverse subjects, offers us the opportunity for common open spaces of work , for interacting with other political and social sectors. If we expand the field of analysis and achieve agreements, we must face them without fear to the diverse consequences that they mail entail. But also considering that the consequences of these relations can be unequal, they could be made concrete in the institutional area by unitary motions, concrete agreements.... and in the field of mobilization by unitary actions.

Electoral cycle

Anyway, this is our strategic project. It is not a mere [electoral] campaign; it is not about keeping an image either. That is the road to develop and we must concentrate our forces there. [Regional] elections do not have to condition or change our strategy.

The political line that HB will carry forward in the next years will consist of a transition from the current framework to another. Our greatest future challenge is the project for territoriality. The second is about the defense of some minimums to articulate urgently for nation-building. And the third one, is to start a democratic process to overcome the conflict.

Territoriality

Territoriality is the basis for moving from this framework to another. It is necessary to negate the current framework of Bascongadas [3 of the 4 Basque provinces in Spain] without forgetting that this [territoriality] cannot be achieved overnight and, also, that it offers some usable channels for a future national framework.

For that it is necessary to get support for creating institutions of a national character (in the socioeconomic area, in the field of culture, at the political level...). Probably those institutions, perhaps, will lack official or legal personality; it does not matter, in spite of it, for us they will be absolutely referential. This projects has absolute priority.

Urgent measures

After exchanging opinions and debating them with all sectors, HB has to make a list of urgent measures around the strategic axes of our national project.

Overcoming the conflict

HB agrees with ETA's statement: "... that the false solution of a conflict does not make the pernicious seed of confrontation germinate in the future, in such a form that the new generations are not forced again to take arms to solve our conflict."

Our commitment in that sense is manifested. But the political conditions have to change and the root of the problem must be recognised. Euskal Herria must be able to decide its future in total freedom, without vetoes or impositions, and by respecting its territoriality.

The Irish forum looks for reflecting on the factors that have made possible to start a process in Ireland. And if a possible agreement with respect to the mentioned factors were obtained, we would find ourselves at the beginning of a second phase, able to transfer those conclusions to Euskal Herria.

Special mention deserves the initiative Euskal Presoak Euskal Herrira, since we are all facing an important test which will require our will and forces. If we accept this test, we would not be in an idyllic position, but the conditions would improve considerably to materialize another advance.

Towards a new framework

HB is directing itself towards that new framework; it wishes to make alliances for taking that trip and, whether we are a few or many, we are moving in that direction because the situation demands it.

We offer a sustained political dynamics in a practical project for territoriality, the defense of some urgent minimums, a democratic way out for overcoming the conflict, and the defense of the victims of retaliation.

This offer is clear. Integral or partial alliances can be searched for; for example: territoriality is fundamental to us but, in the same way, other reduced alliances can be made more concrete.

Herri Batasuna is going to play with absolute fidelity as far as the consequences of the accords, be them institutional or of another kind.

Therefore, our main project in light of the upcoming elections in Bascongadas, and foral and municipal elections, is to reach agreements with other sectors. This is not a campaign; we made this offer because our strategic project requires it and we are coherent with our philosophy and political practices.