By Adrian Croft
Madrid - Spanish voters swept the centre-right government from power on Sunday in a spectacular general election upset over last week's suspected al-Qaeda attack in Madrid.
The ruling Popular Party (PP) conceded defeat to Socialist leader Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who will take over from outgoing Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a staunch supporter of the United States-led war in Iraq that most Spaniards opposed.
"My most immediate priority is to beat all forms of terrorism," said Zapatero, asking for a minute's silence in honour of the 200 people killed in the bombings on four packed commuter trains.
'My most immediate priority is to beat all forms of terrorism' Voters, many wearing the black ribbon symbols of national grief since Thursday's attack, turned out in large numbers amid an angry debate over who was behind the train bombings - Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda or Basque separatists.
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Analysts had warned that the PP, which had been opinion poll favourite, could be hit if voters believed a purported fresh al-Qaeda claim that the group had mounted its first attack in Europe and in reprisal for Spain's support for the Iraq war.
"The government has paid the price for its involvement in the war in Iraq, for Aznar's relationship with (US President George) Bush and (British Prime Minister) Tony Blair. The vote has been a reaction to this," said Carlos Berzosa, rector of Madrid's Complutense University.
Official results showed the Socialists leading the PP by 42.7 percent to 37.7 percent with 96 percent of votes counted.
This would give the Socialists 164 seats in parliament compared with the PP's 148, but short of an absolute majority of 176.
'If you don't stop your injustices, more blood will flow' Some Spaniards were vitriolic in accusing Aznar of "manipulating" public opinion by spending three days blaming the bombings on the Basque separatist group ETA, despite its denials.
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