By Jason Webb MADRID, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The Spanish government on Tuesday told the Basque Country that a planned vote on its future in Spain was illegal, setting the stage for a test of political will with the restive region ahead of March's general elections. Basque leaders want the referendum to decide on whether to authorise their political parties to discuss amongst themselves the region's relationship with the rest of Spain after four decades of armed struggle by separatist ETA rebels. Some of these political parties will want these talks to lead to independence, although polls show only a minority of Basques share this aim. "It's not allowed, it's not going to happen and they aren't going to do it," Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said of the proposed vote after meeting the leader of the Basque Country's regional government, Juan Jose Ibarretxe. But Ibarretxe said he would push ahead with the vote planned for October 2008 even against the will of the Spanish government, ensuring the emotive issue of Basque separatism will dominate next March's Spanish general elections. "This debate is legitimate and democratic. It doesn't deserve the insults and put-downs it receives in Madrid," Ibarretxe, who is known by his Basque language title Lehendakari, told reporters after the meeting at Zapatero's Moncloa Palace. Zapatero, who knows that being tough on Ibarretxe pays off at ballot boxes in the rest of Spain, says the vote would be unconstitutional. 7,000 YEARS OF HISTORY But the government must also consider the longer-term effects of saying no to a request from the democratically elected Lehendakari for Basques to be allowed to vote on their future. "The Basque people have 7,000 years of history and the Basques are a very persistent people," said Ibarretxe. The government has already tried but failed to find a solution to violence in the Basque Country, via peace talks with ETA, who have killed more than 800 people over the years. It broke them off in December when the rebels bombed Madrid airport, killing two people. The Lehendakari said he wanted a broad agreement to seek an end to the conflict, similar to the Downing Street declaration by the British and Irish governments that led to a Northern Irish peace deal. Spain's conservative opposition, the Popular Party, are basing their election campaign on accusations that Zapatero has betrayed the cause of Spanish national unity by allowing regional governments to seek greater powers. Popular Party parliamentary spokesman Eduardo Zaplana called Zapatero "timid" for failing to force Ibarretxe to call off his plan for a vote. The Popular Party narrowly lags Zapatero's Socialists in opinion polls. (Additional reporting by Teresa Larraz)
