Arnaldo Otegi, general coordinator of EH Bildu, confirmed yesterday that he will not be a candidate for the leadership of the government of the Basque Country in next year’s regional elections. A lack of weight in the ballots, next to that of Iñigo Urkullu, the current one lehendakariwho saw that his party, the PNV, prevented him from running again for a fourth term.
“Everyone knows who I am and that I have a past,” Arnaldo Otegi said yesterday, ruling out the possibility that his decision was related to the weight his past with ETA could have on EH Bildu’s campaign. had already made “a long time ago”.
For the time being, the name of the person who will propose EH Bildu as a candidate for the leadership of the Basque government in next year’s elections is not known, but one thing Otegi wanted to make clear yesterday: that his leadership remains steadfast and enjoys the support of activists of the independence party. “I have a problem: people vote for me,” he assured.
Finally, the general coordinator of EH Bildu was available for a television debate with the current lehendakariIñigo Urkullu, despite neither of them voting.
The PNV’s decision not to count on the 62-year-old Urkullu for a fourth term was met with surprise, as the leader of the Basque government had been in the preparatory campaign since the end of August. Urkullu said he felt “in good shape” but accepted his departure “as a man of the party”.
Last Saturday the PNV announced that it is a candidate for lehendakari It will be 48-year-old Imanol Pradales, whose name has yet to be confirmed by activists in an internal process that began last weekend.
The chairman of the PNV, Andoni Ortuzar, thanked Urkullu for “the almost twelve years of commitment and dedication to the government of Euskadi”, but stated that the party is gambling “in the medium and long term” with the election of a politician who will be part of “a new generation”.
Source: DN
