Moderates Win Vote in Basque Region

Moderate nationalists won elections in Spain’s Basque Country that could set the course for the region’s peace process following a cease-fire by separatist guerrillas. The ruling Basque Nationalist Party, or PNV, took 21 seats in the 75-seat regional parliament, down from 22 in the 1996 election, official returns showed. The results give the PNV the right to form another coalition government. The political arm of the rebel group Basque Homeland and Freedom, or ETA, gained 14 seats, up from 11. But the Basque branches of Spain’s two biggest parties--the ruling Popular Party and the opposition Socialists--scored strong gains as well. The Popular Party won 16 seats, up from 11; the Socialists added two more seats for a total of 14.