The State public prosecutor, Consuelo Madrigal, announced on Wednesday that her department is to inform the Junta Electoral (electoral commission) of the sentences served on the EH Bildu candidate for Lehendakari (Basque president), Arnaldo Otegi, so that it can take the decisions that it sees fit, according to legal sources reported by Europa Press. The leader of the Abertzale Left is not allowed to stand in the elections or any other until February 28 2021.
The Prosecutor says that the former Batasuna spokesman not only has a special disqualification from occupying public posts, but is also disqualified from standing in elections. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in September 2011 by the Audiència Nacional high court for belonging to a terrorist organisation, specifically for trying to reform the banned Batasuna party through the Bateragune project. Later in 2012, the Tribunal Supremo high court upheld both disqualifications, albeit reducing the sentence to six and a half years.
The effective start date for the sentence did not begin until September 2014, the day after fulfilling the sentence of absolute disqualification imposed previously for his participation in 2005 in the tribute to ETA member José María Sagarduy, in the Biscayan locality of Amorebieta.
The EH Bildu membership who took part in the assemblies held in the towns and neighbourhoods of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa chose Otegi as their candidate for Lehendakari, according to EH Bildu yesterday in a statement. Arnaldo Otegi’s first public appearance as a candidate will take place on Wednesday May 25.
