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Spain opposition wins poll
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Spain opposition wins poll

Monday 15 March 2004, 1:49 Makka Time, 22:49 GMT

Spain's opposition Socialists have triumphed in general elections as the country
struggles to come to terms with last week's Madrid railway massacre

Spain's interior minister, Angel Acebes, conceded late on Sunday evening that
his ruling Popular Party had lost the elections.

"The PSOE has won the elections with 43.01% of the vote," Acebes said.

He added that he would give the Socialists 164 seats in the 350 member Chamber
of Deputies, while the Conservatives would have only 148 seats.

The Conservative defeat came in the highly emotional aftermath of last week's
Madrid railway massacre in which 200 people were killed.

Iraq occupation

The conservative Popular Party of outgoing 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 Popular Party would win
with a reduced majority.

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.

The government's support for the US-led occupation of Iraq apparently proved a
liability after a statement attributed to al-Qaida said this was the reason for
carrying out the devastating attacks, in which 1,500 people were wounded.

Up to 90% of the population was against the Iraq war and occupation, to which
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has contributed 1300 Spanish troops.

High turnout

Aznar was stepping down after two terms as prime minister having handed over the
PP reins to former deputy Mariano Rajoy, who was up against PSOE rival Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero.

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

The outgoing government had laid most suspicion for the attacks on the Basque
separatist group ETA, which denied responsibility.

But in the hours before the election attention swung to possible al-Qaida
involvement after a video was discovered claiming the atrocity in the Islamist
group's name.

"We claim responsibility for what happened in Madrid exactly two and a half
years after the attacks in New York and Washington," said a man claiming to be
an al-Qaida spokesman in the video.

Arrests

"This is an answer to your cooperation with the Bush criminals and their allies.
This is an answer to crimes which you committed in the world, notably in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and there will be more, so help us God."

Following the threat, Spanish authorities implemented "exceptional" security
measures for the elections with 106,000 officers in the streets and additional
police forces "ready to be sent anywhere they may be needed", an interior
ministry spokesman said.

Three Moroccans and two Indians arrested late on Saturday in relation to clues
found in a bag containing a bomb that failed to go off were being held under an
anti-terrorist law permitting extended detention.
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