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Early results favor Spanish opposition
Vote overshadowed by Madrid train bombings
Peter Dejong / AP
Voters check their names on posted lists before voting at San Isidro School in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday.
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 3:58 p.m. ET March 14, 2004MADRID, Spain -
Spain’s ruling Popular Party looked headed for defeat in elections overshadowed by the Madrid terror bombings, with the opposition Socialists poised to score spectacular gains, according to partial results.
With 56 percent of the votes counted, the conservatives — who had been projected to win comfortably before the bombings — fell from 183 seats in the last 350-seat legislature to 146. The Socialists soared from 125 to 163.
Turnout was high at 76 percent. Voters expressed anger with the government, accusing it of provoking the Madrid attacks by supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq, which most Spaniards opposed.
Earlier, two exit polls gave the Socialists the most votes, while another put the ruling Popular Party — favorite in opinion polls up to a week ago — in front.
Critics have said Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar invited the attention of Osama bin Laden’s terror group by allying Spain with Washington in the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
Fueling anger were suspicions that the government withheld information in the investigation to avoid political fallout from the Thursday bombings, which killed 200 people and injured 1,500. The government had initially blamed the Basque separatist group ETA.
The exit polls suggested the Socialists had done much better than expected and that no single party would emerge with an absolute majority in parliament, meaning whoever wins most seats will probably need help from another party to form a government.
Analysts had warned the Popular Party could be rocked if voters believed Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida had mounted its first attack in Europe.
Telecinco television’s exit poll showed the Popular Party winning 40.6 percent of the vote to 38.3 percent for the Socialists. That would mean the Popular Party taking 169 seats, short of the 176 needed for an absolute majority.
State television had the Socialists winning 41.4 percent of the vote and the Popular Party 36 percent. Private radio Cadena Ser’s poll gave the Socialists 40.5 percent and the Popular Party 39.5 percent.
Before the attacks, polls gave ruling the Popular Party and its candidate, Mariano Rajoy, a 3-5 percentage point lead over the Socialists and their leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in the race for the 350-seat Congress of Deputies. Prime Minister Aznar is not seeking a third term; in the outgoing legislature, his party had 183 seats.
Feelings of ‘anguish, sadness, horror’
Many Spaniards entered voting booths grim-faced, and some wore handwritten badges that said “peace.”
“Spain has never voted in such a tragic situation. There’s a feeling of anguish, sadness, horror,” said Joaquin Leguina, a former president of Madrid’s regional government.
“I didn’t intend to vote, but changed my mind,” said Javi Martin, 30, who works for a TV station in Madrid. “And not because of the attacks, but because of the responsibility of the Popular Party. They gave out information drop by drop. It would have benefited them if it were ETA.”
Some evidence points toward al-Qaida role
Evidence of possible al-Qaida involvement grew after the government announced finding a videotape in a trash can Saturday on which a man says the Islamic terror group was punishing Spain for its support of the Iraq war. An Arabic-speaking man called a Madrid TV station to say the tape was there, Interior Minister Angel Acebes said.
Earlier in the day, three Moroccans and two Indians were arrested over the bombings.
Spain’s El Pais newspaper, citing the interior ministry, reported that the Moroccans are linked to Abu Dahdah, the jailed alleged leader of al-Qaida’s Spanish cell. Authorities in Morocco said Sunday they could not confirm that.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday it is too early to say whether al-Qaida was behind the bombings.
“It’s just premature to make a judgment. I don’t think we know enough, and the Spanish are very good at these kinds of investigations. And I’m sure they’ll get to the bottom of it,” Powell said.
Early results favor Spanish opposition
Vote overshadowed by Madrid train bombings
Peter Dejong / AP
Voters check their names on posted lists before voting at San Isidro School in Madrid, Spain, on Sunday.
MSNBC News Services
Updated: 3:58 p.m. ET March 14, 2004MADRID, Spain -
Spain’s ruling Popular Party looked headed for defeat in elections overshadowed by the Madrid terror bombings, with the opposition Socialists poised to score spectacular gains, according to partial results.
With 56 percent of the votes counted, the conservatives — who had been projected to win comfortably before the bombings — fell from 183 seats in the last 350-seat legislature to 146. The Socialists soared from 125 to 163.
Turnout was high at 76 percent. Voters expressed anger with the government, accusing it of provoking the Madrid attacks by supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq, which most Spaniards opposed.
Earlier, two exit polls gave the Socialists the most votes, while another put the ruling Popular Party — favorite in opinion polls up to a week ago — in front.
Critics have said Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar invited the attention of Osama bin Laden’s terror group by allying Spain with Washington in the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein.
Fueling anger were suspicions that the government withheld information in the investigation to avoid political fallout from the Thursday bombings, which killed 200 people and injured 1,500. The government had initially blamed the Basque separatist group ETA.
The exit polls suggested the Socialists had done much better than expected and that no single party would emerge with an absolute majority in parliament, meaning whoever wins most seats will probably need help from another party to form a government.
Analysts had warned the Popular Party could be rocked if voters believed Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida had mounted its first attack in Europe.
Telecinco television’s exit poll showed the Popular Party winning 40.6 percent of the vote to 38.3 percent for the Socialists. That would mean the Popular Party taking 169 seats, short of the 176 needed for an absolute majority.
State television had the Socialists winning 41.4 percent of the vote and the Popular Party 36 percent. Private radio Cadena Ser’s poll gave the Socialists 40.5 percent and the Popular Party 39.5 percent.
Before the attacks, polls gave ruling the Popular Party and its candidate, Mariano Rajoy, a 3-5 percentage point lead over the Socialists and their leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in the race for the 350-seat Congress of Deputies. Prime Minister Aznar is not seeking a third term; in the outgoing legislature, his party had 183 seats.
Feelings of ‘anguish, sadness, horror’
Many Spaniards entered voting booths grim-faced, and some wore handwritten badges that said “peace.”
“Spain has never voted in such a tragic situation. There’s a feeling of anguish, sadness, horror,” said Joaquin Leguina, a former president of Madrid’s regional government.
“I didn’t intend to vote, but changed my mind,” said Javi Martin, 30, who works for a TV station in Madrid. “And not because of the attacks, but because of the responsibility of the Popular Party. They gave out information drop by drop. It would have benefited them if it were ETA.”
Some evidence points toward al-Qaida role
Evidence of possible al-Qaida involvement grew after the government announced finding a videotape in a trash can Saturday on which a man says the Islamic terror group was punishing Spain for its support of the Iraq war. An Arabic-speaking man called a Madrid TV station to say the tape was there, Interior Minister Angel Acebes said.
Earlier in the day, three Moroccans and two Indians were arrested over the bombings.
Spain’s El Pais newspaper, citing the interior ministry, reported that the Moroccans are linked to Abu Dahdah, the jailed alleged leader of al-Qaida’s Spanish cell. Authorities in Morocco said Sunday they could not confirm that.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday it is too early to say whether al-Qaida was behind the bombings.
“It’s just premature to make a judgment. I don’t think we know enough, and the Spanish are very good at these kinds of investigations. And I’m sure they’ll get to the bottom of it,” Powell said.
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