The Spanish cabinet has agreed to ask the Supreme Court for a total ban on the separatist Basque party, Batasuna.

The cabinet approved the request on Friday, days after an overwhelming vote in favour of the ban in Spain's parliament.

The initiative would be in addition to the suspension of the party for three years, ordered by Judge Baltasar Garzon on Monday.

Garzon's ruling

Public rallies and demonstrations banned Offices to be closed, with water, electricity and telephones cut off Party representatives barred from next year's local elections All assets seized and bank accounts frozen

Judge Garzon and the government say Batasuna is the political wing of the outlawed armed Basque separatist group ETA.

Batasuna denies this, but has refused to condemn violence attributed to ETA, including car bombs and the murder of politicians and members of the police.

The Supreme Court is expected to take up to three weeks to announce its decision.

If it upholds the government's call to ban the party, this would be the first time since the death of General Franco in 1975 that a political organisation has been outlawed in Spain.

On Thursday, it was reported that Spain would seek the closure of Batasuna offices in the south of France.

Judge Garzon ordered the clampdown

Police have closed at least 12 local Batasuna offices in Spain's Basque region since Tuesday's suspension order.

Batasuna says it will appeal against any legal ruling banning the party.

"During the Franco years we faced the same situation, if not worse. We were made illegal, but the pro-independence movement continued," Batasuna lawyer Jone Goirizelaia said.

Click here to see a map of territory claimed by ETA

She said Batasuna would appeal against the government ban once it becomes official, taking their cases to European courts if necessary.

She pointed out a precedent in April when the European Court of Human Rights condemned Turkey for banning a Kurdish political party over its alleged links to terrorist groups.

Under the four-decade dictatorship of General Franco, Basques were subjected to repressive policies that led to the rise of the ETA armed group and Batasuna.

Mr Garzon says he has strong evidence linking the party to ETA, which has killed more than 800 people in its 27-year campaign for an independent Basque state.

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