Spain PM-elect: Troops out of Iraq
西班牙新当选首相主张从伊拉克撤军

Monday, March 15, 2004 Posted: 0903 GMT (1703 HKT)

MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Spain's general election winner Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero says he intends to withdraw Madrid's 1,300 troops from Iraq, news agencies reported.
西班牙，马德里----西班牙大选获胜者Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero宣称，他计划从伊拉克撤出1300人的西班牙军队。

☆ general election 大选
   

Zapatero told a Spanish radio station that no decision would be taken until he was in power and without wide political consultation, Reuters reported.
路透社报道：Zapatero 对一个西班牙的电台宣布，在他行使权力及在进行广泛的政治磋商之前，将不会做出决定。

☆ consultation 磋商

"But the Spanish troops in Iraq will come home," he added in his first post-election interview with Cadena SER radio.
在选举后首次接见Cadena SER电台时，他宣称：“在伊拉克的西班牙军队将会回家。”

☆ post-election 选举后
    interview 接见

Earlier, the surprise victor in Sunday's national elections vowed that fighting terrorism would be his first priority as he sets about creating a government of change "that will work for peace."
早前，在周日国家选举中的意外获胜者宣称，与恐怖分子作斗争是他的首要任务，并将致力于创造一个“维护和平”的政府。

☆vow 发誓，宣誓
   

Zapatero说："Today, the Spanish people have spoken, and they said they want a government of change," said Zapatero, the socialist party candidate who succeeds Jose Maria Aznar as prime minister.
“今天，西班牙人民表达了想要一个不同的政府的意愿。”作为社会党候选人，他击败了Jose Maria Aznar并当选西班牙首相。

☆ candidate 候选人

Aznar's choice for successor -- Mariano Rajoy, of the Popular Party -- was defeated soundly three days after terrorist attacks in the capital killed 200 people and wounded about 1,500 others.

Rajoy conceded defeat after some 83 percent of the vote had been counted, showing the Socialist Workers Party on track to win 164 seats in the country's 350-seat parliament.

The ruling conservative Popular Party is tipped to win 148 seats, thus ending eight years of conservative rule.

After a minute of silence to remember Thursday's bombing victims, Zapatero expressed thanks "to all the governments and countries that have been with us in our pain."

Turnout was high at 76 percent with voters seeming to express anger with the government, accusing it of provoking the Madrid attacks by supporting the U.S.-led war in Iraq, which most Spaniards opposed.

After a minute of silence in their remembrance "so we never forget," Zapatero expressed thanks "to all the governments and countries that have been with us in our pain."

He congratulated Rajoy as "a very good rival," and said he had called him and pledged "to cooperate in the matters of state."

Zapatero said he would seek to increase the prestige of democratic institutions in Spain, and vowed to create a transparent government that "will act from dialogue ... it is a government that will work for peace."

He added, "My immediate priority will be to fight terrorism, and the first thing I will do tomorrow -- Monday -- will be to search for the unity of the political forces to concentrate all of our efforts in that fight."

Though his government may be one of change, some things will remain constant, he said, "Tonight, I want to govern for all of us and I assure you that power is not going to change me."

Zapatero made his remarks shortly after Rajoy conceded defeat Sunday.

"The results show that he has gained the trust of the majority of the Spanish citizens and the Partido Popular recognizes that this general election has been marred by the tragic consequences of the terrible events, and the Spanish citizen has spoken," said Rajoy, who was flanked by Aznar.

"The majority of the electorate has behaved in a civilized way, and it has been an homage to the memory of the victims," Rajoy added.

He said Sunday's results "force the big national parties to examine our responsibilities," and he vowed that the Partido Popular would do just that.

"More than always, the national priority must always be the defeat of terrorists," he said.

The current government will collaborate in the transition of power, said Eduardo Zaplana, a Cabinet minister and chief spokesman for the PP.

The concession came after some 83 percent of the vote had been counted, showing the Socialist Workers Party on track to win 164 seats in the country's 350-seat parliament.

The ruling conservative Popular Party was on track to win 148 seats.

Internal tracking polls predicted last Wednesday that the PP would win, but Thursday's terrorist attacks in the capital changed everything, one analyst said.

The upset was widely interpreted as a rebuke to Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's strong support for U.S. President George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq, which 90 percent of Spaniards opposed.

It was also seen as a criticism of the Spanish government's handling of last week's bomb blasts. Initially, government authorities said they suspected the Basque separatist group ETA -- whose terrorist attacks the ruling party has staunchly put down in recent years.

But later evidence has pointed to al Qaeda members as the possible attackers.

--CNN Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman contributed to this report