Madrid rally of pro-polisario exposes extent of Spanish people's interest

After several months of lobbying and campaigning, a meeting, supposed to be "the great national rally" of pro-Polisario Spanish associations turned out to be a exposition, as only 3,000 persons, 4,000 according to the most optimistic estimates, showed up on Saturday in Madrid.

The Spanish national coordination of associations supporting the Sahara meant to pressure, through this rally, the Spanish leftist government. Eventually, it only served to reveal to the world the poor interest granted by the Spanish people to the theses of the Algeria-backed secessionists which seek to separate Moroccan southern provinces, the Sahara, from the rest of Morocco. The Sahara is a former Spanish colony retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid accord with Spain.

The event also shattered a long-maintained myth, that all the Spanish society supports the secession.

All through the lobbying for the rally, held on the occasion of the Madrid accords, signed on November 14 1975, the sponsor association repeated endlessly as an argument to attract participants that it has an increasing support of the Spanish society. Despite the considerable logistical means, including buses to carry potential participants from different Spanish cities to Madrid, only associations member to the said coordination, young communist and socialist associations, the CCOO trade union, the UGT trade union and representatives of communist and nationalist parties took part in the march.

The Spanish socialists who won the elections last March had stressed that they will adopt a new policy vis-a-vis the Sahara. The new government led by Jose-Maria Aznar vowed an active involvement to reach a final solution that is acceptable by all parties.