. 2A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 15, 2004 41 NATION/WORLD Socialist Party wins election in Spain MADRID, Spain (AP) - Voters ousted Spain's ruling party in elections yesterday, with many saying they were shaken by bombings in Madrid - and furious with the government for back- ing the Iraq war and making their country a target for al-Qaida. Also, one of the three Moroccans arrested in the Madrid train bombings is linked to a suspected al-Qaida member jailed in Spain for allegedly helping plan the Sept. 11 attack in the United States, according to court doc- uments. The Socialist Party declared victory with 79 percent of the votes counted, as results showed it winning 164 seats in the 350-member parliament and the ruling Popular Party taking 147. The latter had 183 seats in the outgoing legislature. "According to the available data, the ~ Socialist Party has won the general election. It is a clear victory," said Jose Blanco, the party's campaign manager. Turnout was high at 76 percent. Many voters said Thursday's bomb- ings, which killed 200 people and wounded 1,500, were a decisive fac- tor, along with the government's much-criticized handling of the initial investigation. "The Popular Party has made me lose faith in politics," said Juan Rigola, 23, a biologist in Barcelona. "It deserves to lose and to see the Spanish people turn against them." The electorate of 34.5 million included about 1.9 million mostly young voters added to the rolls since the 2000 general election. Until the bombing, the conserva- tive Popular Party was projected by most polls to beat the Socialists, although perhaps without retaining their majority in the 350-seat Con- gress of Deputies. But the disaster, which the gov- ernment initially blamed on the Basque separatist group ETA, threw the election wide open. The attack was followed by emotional rallies across the country. Critics accused the government, which had trumpeted its crackdown on ETA, of manipulating the investigation for political gain. That struck a chord with voters. "I didn't intend to vote, but changed my mind," said Javi Martin, 30, who works for a TV station in Madrid. "And not because of the attacks, but because of the responsibility of the Popular Party. They gave out informa- NEWS IN BRIEF HEALIN S MAO NB H OL *., China passes new private property laws Communist-led China took the historic step yesterday of amending its constitu- tion to protect the property rights of capitalists who are driving its economic boom, while promising to focus on helping farmers and millions of others left behind. The nation's parliament, making changes dictated by the Communist Party, also passed an amendment declaring respect for human rights but not promising free political expression - a key issue for government critics. The changes came as the figurehead National People's Congress closed a 10- day annual session dominated by promises to shift development to the poor coun- tryside, where 800 million Chinese live. "We should unite all the people of China in focusing on construction and develop- ment in order to build a better future," the country's No. 2 leader, NPC chairman Wu Bangguo, said in a nationally televised address to the parliament's closing ceremony. The outcome of the parliament reflected the ruling party's two-track strategy for China's immediate future: heavy new spending to help the rural poor, financed by more economic reform and robust growth, projected this year at 7 percent. MOSCOW Russian leader Putin re-elected in landslide President Vladimir Putin claimed victory early today after easily winning a sec- ond term with more than 69 percent of the vote, confirming widespread expecta- tions of a commanding victory. Assured in advance of victory, Putin was looking for a powerful turnout to strengthen his grip over Russia - already tightened by his appointment of a new Cabinet just before the vote and by December parliamentary elections that gave the main pro-Kremlin party full control over lawmaking. According to preliminary data, 64.27 percent of voters nationwide had cast bal- lots, electoral officials said. With 49.7 percent of precincts accounted for, Putin had 69.3 percent of the vote, the Central Election Commission said. The partial results were backed up by an exit poll by the non-governmental Public Opinion Foundation, which surveyed 120,000 voters at 1,200 polling stations and concluded Putin had won 69 percent. "I promise you that for the next four years, I will work in the same mode," Putin said. "All the democratic achievements will be guaranteed." Cayetano Abad, who was injured in one of the March 11 bomb attacks, casts his vote in the general elections yesterday in a polling station in Madrid. tion drop by drop. It would have bene- fited them if it were ETA." Some voters were angry at outgoing Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, accusing him of making Spain a target for Islamic extremists because of his support for the Iraq war, despite the opposition of most Spaniards. Aznar sent 1,300 Spanish troops to Iraq after the conflict and 11 have died. Bombing kills 11 Israelis, stalls meeting of leaders ASHDOD, Israel (AP) - Two Palestinian sui- cide bombers blew themselves up in this closely guarded Israeli port yesterday, killing 11 Israelis and wounding 18 in the first deadly attack on a strategic installation in more than three years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting. The bombings raised serious questions about Israel's vulnerability. Police said the bombers may have been trying to blow themselves up near chemicals, causing far greater loss of life. The bombers were identified as residents of a Gaza refugee camp and would be the first mili- tants from Gaza to infiltrate into Israel during the current round of violence. The volatile coastal strip is surrounded by a fence and subject to strin- gent security. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called off a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart, Ahmed Qureia, that had tentatively been set for tomor- row. Preparatory talks set for today were also called off, a Sharon aide said. Yesterday's bombings could signal that bombers were trying to carry out a so-called "mega attack." Many of the bombings since 2000 targeted buses, cafes and markets, where a large number of people gather, but the death toll in each attack never rose above 30. In recent months, security forces said they had stopped dozens of planned attacks every day. « . a "They found a weak point and they exploited it," Israeli Cabinet Minister Yosef Paritzky said. "There are many people coming and going. It is impossible to seal the entire country hermetically." Hamas and the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, militants with links to Yasser Arafat's Fatah party, claimed joint responsibility for the attack. Sami Pinto, a portworker, said that when he entered the port, he saw smoke from the explo- sions near the fence of the facility and one in a workshop inside the port. "One of our workers who was lightly wounded told me that the terrorist came in and asked for water and the moment he showed him where there was a tap he blew up," Pinto said. Eleven were killed in addition to the bombers, whose bodies were found near the scene of the blasts, authorities said. Moshe Karadi, police chief of southern Israel, said the bombers were using a different type of bomb than usual and may have been trying to blow themselves up next to tanks of bromide or other dangerous chemicals stored in the port, causing far greater casualties as clouds of poisonous gas billow about. The explosions went off some way from the chemical storage area, possibly prematurely. All Palestinian bombers since 2000 came from the West Bank, which has a much more porous border with Israel. health care proposal BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) - Democ- ratic presidential candidate John Kerry promoted a health care plan that he said would save consumers $1,000 each as he focused attention yesterday on a pair of important Rust Belt states that have been battered by the steady drain of manufacturing jobs. The Massachusetts senator said he plans to focus on issues that matter to voters, like health care and jobs. "Americans struggling to pay health care don't need misleading attacks, they need meaningful answers," Kerry said at a town meeting, where he heard from workers who lost health care cov- erage along with their jobs. Kerry said the health care crisis has worsened under President Bush, with more than 1 million people a year losing coverage at a time when average health insurance premiums have increased by $793. In response, a spokesman for Bush's re-election campaign charged that Kerry has done little during a long political career in Congress to improve the nation's health care system. SEOUL, South Korea S. Koreans rally for impeached president North Korea condemned South Korea's presidential impeachment as a U.S.-masterminded "coup" while 35,000 frustrated protesters gathered last night in downtown Seoul rallying against the push to remove their leader. "Nullify Impeachment!" chanted the crowd, which was down in size from the 50,000 people who sang songs the previous day. Organizers pledged to hold candlelight vigils every night. Communist North Korea, run by leader Kim Jong Ii with an ironclad cult of personality, shuddered at Friday's vote in the National Assembly to impeach President Roh Moo-hyun on charges of illegal campaigning and incompetence. It was the first such move in South Korean history. The North urged that previously scheduled inter-Korean economic talks be moved from South Korea to the North due to the political situation in Seoul. KABUL, Afghanistan U.S. military launches new bin Laden hunt American military stepped up efforts to find Osama bin Laden and destroy his al-Qaida and Taliban sup- porters, starting yesterday a major new sweep across lawless southern and eastern Afghanistan involving thou- sands of troops. The military insisted their net will eventually close on the al-Qaida leader, who has vanished since melting into the Afghan mountains months after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. A spokesman said the new opera- tion also will prepare the way for reconstruction in impoverished provinces along the Pakistani border - a reward the military hopes will loosen villagers' tongues. "It's certainly about more than one person," Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty said. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti French take over for U.S. in Haitian slums French troops took over patrols yes- terday in a slum where U.S. Marines - under fire - killed at least two people and angered residents demanding the return of ousted President Jean- Bertrand Aristide. Aristide, meanwhile, was expect- ed to return to the region two weeks after he fled a bloody rebellion under pressure from the United States and France. 1e planned io leave exile in the Central African Republic yesterday and reach Jamaica early today. His arrival in the neighboring island is raising tensions in Haiti, where his followers plan more protests to demand he be restored as the legitimate leader. - Compiled from Daily wire reports WWWMICHIGANDAILY.COM The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published.Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily's office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $105. Winter term (January through April) is $110, yearlong (September through April) is $190. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscrip- tions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press. ADDRESS: The Michigan Daily, 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1327. 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Gaerig, Zach Mabee, Sarah Peterson, Melissa Runstrom, Doug Wernert STAFF: Jennie Adler, Rachel Berry, Aliya Chowdhri, Laurence Freedman, Katie Marie Gates, Brandon Harig, Lynn Hasselbarth, Mary Hillemeier, Joel Hoard, Kevin Hollifield, Andrew Horowitz, Lia Izenberg, Megan Jacobs, Alexandra Jones, Michelle Kijek, Matt Kivel, Jiwon Lee, Ryan Lewis, Evan McGarvey, Vanessa Miller, Jared Newman, Charles Paradis, James Pfent, Christopher Pitoun, Rebecca Ramsey, Archana Ravi, Scott Serilla, Jaya Soni, Anthea Stolz, Justin Weiner, Todd Weiser, Janet Yang 4 REQUEST YOUR CATALOG TODAY! REGISTRATION BEGINS APRIL 12 CLASSESBEGIN JUNE 12 847.491.5250 www.northwestern.edu/summernu VIGIL Continued from Page 1A officials originally suspected Basque sep- aratists of responsibility for the blasts. A poster board with the messages of "No Al Terrorismo" and "Paz Ahora" - which in English mean "No to Terror- ism" and "Peace Now" - lay in the middle of the Diag. 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