Spaniards vote out govt over Madrid blasts

Socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero puts his thumb up outside the headquarters of Socialist party (PSOE) after his victory in the Spanish general election on Sunday in Madrid. PHOTO: AFP

Spain's opposition Socialists prepared for power on Monday after a sensational election upset sparked by anger over the government's handling of a suspected al-Qaeda attack on commuter trains that killed 200 people.

Voters ousted the center-right Popular Party (PP), which until Thursday's coordinated attacks had looked certain to win a third consecutive term in power in Sunday's poll.

Spain's next prime minister will be 43-year-old Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who has criticized outgoing premier Jose Maria Aznar's unswerving support for US foreign policy and has threatened to pull out 1,300 Spanish troops from Iraq.

"Spain punishes the PP and places its confidence in Zapatero," said El Mundo newspaper on Monday's front page, slamming the government for attempting to play down evidence of al-Qaeda's involvement in the bombing of four commuter trains.

With President Bush facing re-election later this year, the unprecedented swing in the Spanish ballot may be closely watched internationally. It was the first time in Spain's modern democratic history a party had lost power after holding an absolute majority.

"The result wasn't due to the economy, or to the government's management in general...it was just due to the attack," Antonio Tena, a 26-year-old civil engineer, said on Sunday evening, lamenting the PP's loss.

With almost all votes counted, the Socialists had won 42.6 percent of the vote to the PP's 37.6 percent as voters turned out in large numbers to reaffirm their faith in democracy amid the upheaval over the bombings which also injured 1,500 people.

With 164 seats in the lower house of parliament, 12 short of those needed for an absolute majority, the Socialists will need to negotiate alliances with smaller regional parties or left-wing allies in order to govern.

But the PP will remain by far the largest single party in the upper house or Senate, potentially making it difficult for a Socialist government to pass legislation.

The Socialists' surprise win sparked wild rejoicing among their supporters after eight years out of power.

"It's like a dream...Now things are going to change, and change for the better in every sense," said Carlos del Puerto, a 24-year-old mechanic.