Spanish Socialists Back Sahara Referendum Proposal, Diverging from Government Stance

In their initial proposal, Podemos, ERC and Bildu criticized the decision of President Pedro Sanchez to support the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara, arguing that this turnaround is in contradiction with the UN resolutions advocating for the self-determination of the Sahara. But in the version that will be voted on this Thursday in plenary session in Congress, the term "self-determination" has disappeared, in favor of the phrase "referendum within the framework of the United Nations resolutions", reports El Confidencial Digital.

To read: Spanish Socialists Seek Compromise on Western Sahara Policy Ahead of Key Vote

The signatory parties are convinced that "only dialogue, negotiation and agreement conducted in good faith and in a constructive manner, in accordance with international law, will make it possible to reach a just, realistic, viable and acceptable political solution by the two parties to the conflict in the Sahara".

To read: article 91667

For the spokesman of the Socialist group in Congress, Hector Gómez, this proposal is acceptable because it calls for a "realistic" and "acceptable by both parties" solution, but he stressed that the PSOE could not vote in favor of this text if certain amendments proposed by the PNV are taken into account. The PNV is asking to add in this proposal an express condemnation of the government for having changed its position on the Sahara, a decision it describes as "radical and unilateral".

The debate on this bill took place this Wednesday in the plenary session of Congress, and it appears that, if the text does not undergo further modifications, it will be approved on Thursday, with a comfortable majority. Of course,