Zapatero Promised a “government of change” to the Spaniards

MADRID, March 15 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Spain’s opposition socialists ousted Sunday, March 14, the ruling conservatives from power as experts believe that the blind support for the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq has put a curse on the departing government. 

With 86 percent of votes counted, the opposition Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) won victory with about 164 seats projected in the 350-member Chamber of Deputies, while the conservatives would have only 148 seats.

Spain's next prime minister will be 43-year-old Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who has devoted his entire life to politics within the Spanish socialist party, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). 

PSOE secretary Jose Blanco said “it's a clear victory in terms of votes and seats,” sparking euphoria at the party headquarters in Madrid.

Around two-thirds of Spain's 35 million voters turned out, a relatively high proportion.

The conservative Popular Party (PP) of former prime minister Jose Maria Aznar, which was ahead in the polls only a week ago, apparently took a pasting because of its support for the United States in the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Only a week ago, four public opinion polls predicted the PP would win with a reduced majority.

Some people booed Aznar when he voted in separate Madrid polling stations, yelling “Manipulator” and “You fascists are the terrorists”.

They also jeered “Liar” and “Get our troops out of Iraq” at PP prime ministerial candidate Mariano Rajoy when he voted.

The elections came three days after a series of bomb blasts on four Madrid commuter trains that provoked high emotions among many voters against the government.

Aznar’s support for the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq apparently proved a liability after a statement allegedly attributed to Al-Qaeda said this was the reason for carrying out the devastating attacks, in which at least 200 people were killed and 1,500 people were wounded.

According to an AFP poll, up to 90 percent of the population was against the Iraq war and occupation, to which Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has contributed 1,300 Spanish troops.

‘Government Of Change’

Speaking to his cheering supporters, Zapatero said his “government of change” would be marked by dialogue and transparency, Reuters news agency said.

His first thought after winning was to remember those killed in Thursday's attack and to pledge his immediate priority would be “fighting terrorism”.

“Right now, I am thinking about all the lives broken by terror on Thursday,” he said, asking a crowd of excited supporters to respect a minute's silence.

One of Zapatero's first acts as prime minister could be the withdrawal of the Spanish troops from Iraq, Reuters said.

He has promised to pull them out if the United Nations does not take charge in Iraq by the end of June 2004.

On the domestic scene, Zapatero, who became Spain's youngest member of parliament at 26, faces a tougher task as his government will need to appease powerful Catalan and Basque nationalists keen to wrestle more power from Madrid.

‘Iraq Curse’

Analysts also believe that the outgoing government’s blind support for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq has put a curse on the conservatives and played a key role in tilting the balance in the socialists’ favor.

“The government has paid the price for its involvement in the war in Iraq, for Aznar's relationship with [U.S. President George] W. Bush and [British Prime Minister] Tony Blair. The vote has been a reaction to this,” Carlos Berzosa, rector of Madrid's Complutense University, told Reuters. 

“The result wasn't due to the economy, or to the government's management in general...it was just due to the attack,” Antonio Tena, a 26-year-old civil engineer, said. 

Commenting on the surprise results, the Associated Press said that Aznar’s government has become the first government that backed the U.S.-led war in Iraq to be voted out of office.

More than eight million people took to Spain's streets in an unprecedented show of grief and fury at the train carnage.

Muslims worldwide strongly condemned the Madrid blasts, sending it clear that killing civilians is forbidden in their religion regardless of where or who carry out the bloody attacks.