The head of Spain's Basque Autonomous Parliament called on the country's top court to legalize Sortu so that the newly-founded Basque nationalist party could participate in elections.
"I hope that the tribunal legalizes Sortu, because that would mean with actions and with proof that this world wants to integrate itself in democracy, which is what we have always asked for,” Patxi Lopez said in a statement issued on Saturday.
"We want them (Sortu) to stop supporting a terrorist group and work alongside the democrats for the disappearance of ETA," said Lopez, who leads a non-nationalist coalition of the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the Popular Party (PP).
The remarks came after the Spanish Supreme Court Thursday acted on a central government request and suspended the process of registering Sortu, which was founded in February. The central government considers Sortu a successor of Batasuna, the political wing of the violent separatist group ETA.
Spain's Attorney General Candido Conde-Pompido said Friday that the Spanish State Prosecutor's office also opposed the legalization of Sortu.