Zapatero says his Falcon military flights are a matter of State security

Zapatero says his Falcon military flights are a matter of State security
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By h.b. - Jun 4, 2009 - 7:08 AM

Mariano Rajoy in Murcia on Wednesday - EFE

The Spanish Prime Minister gave an interview to Telecinco television on Wednesday night

Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, has responded to the opposition charges that he is using a military Falcon plane for party political campaigning.

‘I will not defend my safety, as I did not criticise it in opposition’, and claimed that he had always travelled across the country in such a way and had never been criticised. He gave the statement during an interview on Telecinco television on Wednesday night, before boarding a Falcon again today to go to a rally in Barcelona. He called for the opposition to be responsible ‘as we are talking about the security of the President of the Government’, he said, ‘and that is the responsibility of the State Armed Forces, and they do it well’.

Asked about the criticisms being faced by his Minister for Territorial Development, Manuel Chaves, the ex President of the Junta de Andalucía, Zapatero said that his Minister had already explained that ‘everything was totally legal and therefore has no further importance’.

Back on the campaign trail, the Socialist Party Organisation Secretary, Leire Pajín, has said that 2010 will be historic with Obama presiding over the United States and Zapatero presiding over Europe. She said the two had progressive policies and a vision of the world.

Meanwhile the leader of the opposition Partido Popular, Mariano Rajoy, ***image1***was in Murcia yesterday where he said he would be supporting a demonstration in favour of the Tajo water transfer on the 20th of this month. He said he would not accept the end of the validity of the Castilla La Mancha statute which threatens the end of the transfer which takes water to the Murcia region.

Meanwhile there is surprise at the decision of Holland which has said it will be publishing its results in the European Elections tonight as people vote there today. It goes against EU rules which say countries should wait until polling is closed across all countries. Britain votes today but will not publish the results until Sunday.

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