Spanish court bans Basque candidates from local elections

Spain's Supreme Court judges agreed unanimously on banning 246 Basque candidates from taking part in the country's local elections scheduled for May 27.

These candidates who claimed to be apolitical citizens were believed to have been set up to serve the interests of the outlawed Batasuna party, and the judges made their ruling citing the Spanish law that prohibits the succession or continuation of a banned party.

The court also ruled that another seven independent candidates, who were asked to be banned by Spain's prosecutor general, were allowed to stand in the elections.

Batasuna has been banned since 2003 for its alleged links with the armed separatist group ETA, which has been fighting for independence of the Basque region, a place that straddles northeastern Spain and southwestern France.

ETA has killed 850 people using bombs and guns since 1968.

Source: Xinhua