41.   Many Basque parties have criticised the PNV for its ambiguous stance towards ETA after it recently suggested immediate talks with the separatists and Ajuria Enea membership for Herri Batasuna.

42.   On Tuesday the king is to meet leaders of the moderate Basque nationalist PNV party, with five parliamentary seats, and later the CiU.

43.   On Tuesday, the five deputies of the Basque nationalist PNV party said they too would back Aznar as premier, PP officials said after talks overnight.

44.   The Basque party called for their immediate release and accused the government of clamping down on Basque nationalists.

45.   The mayor, Jose Antonio Rekondo, who belongs to a moderate pro-independence Basque party, said the police saved his life.