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Local test for Spain's Socialists Spain awaits local poll results
(about 11 hours later)
Spaniards are voting in local and regional elections. Votes are being counted in Spain's local and regional elections.
National issues - like the on-going violence in the Basque region and corruption in urban planning - have featured strongly in the campaigning. National issues - such as on-going violence in the Basque region and urban planning corruption - have loomed strongly in the campaigning.
For the first time, many British and German expatriates are standing as anti-corruption candidates. For the first time, many British and German expatriates have put themselves forward as anti-corruption candidates.
The vote is the first real test of the popularity of Spain's Socialist government since it came to power in general elections in March 2004. The vote is seen as the first real test of popularity for Spain's Socialist government, which came to power after general elections in March 2004.
The election came three days after train bomb attacks in Madrid that killed 191 people. That election came three days after train bomb attacks in Madrid that killed 191 people.
Spaniards are deciding the political make-up of more than 8,000 town councils and most of the country's regional governments. The political make-up of more than 8,000 town councils and most of the country's regional governments are being decided in Sunday's polls.
This vote follows the national government's first major set-back. In December, a bomb attack by the militant separatist group Eta put an end to Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Basque peace process. New parties
Planning corruption The vote follows the national government's first major setback, says the BBC's Danny Shaw in Madrid.
The main opposition, the conservative Popular Party, wants to capitalise on that failure at the polling booths. In December, a bomb attack by the Basque separatist group Eta put an end to the peace process led by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
The conservative opposition Popular Party wants to capitalise on that failure, our correspondent says.
Their leader, Mariano Rajoy, says the government has given in to Eta and is allowing Basque political parties linked to its illegal political wing, Batasuna, to field candidates in the Basque region.Their leader, Mariano Rajoy, says the government has given in to Eta and is allowing Basque political parties linked to its illegal political wing, Batasuna, to field candidates in the Basque region.
The government rejects the accusation, referring to the Supreme Court's ban of more than 100 lists of candidates linked to Batasuna. The government has rejected the accusation, referring to the Supreme Court's ban of more than 100 lists of candidates linked to Batasuna.
Corruption in town planning is another big issue. Corruption in town planning is another big issue. A number of new political groups have been influenced by the issue.
This problem is a catalyst behind a number of new political groups. For the first time, independent political parties with more non-Spanish than Spanish candidates, including many Britons and Germans, are taking part in elections. For the first time, independent political parties with more non-Spanish than Spanish candidates, including many Britons and Germans, are taking part in elections.
But the main political battle is between the Socialist party and the Popular Party. Surveys show that these elections are likely to be very close.