In addition, to maintain sufficient control aser project, the Basques obtained majority voting rights via a new foundation which replaced the museum's original consortium in 1996. Its powerful, 10 member executive committee (two representatives each apported by the province, region and SRGF currently serve four slots remain open) would approve the annual exhibition program and budgets, and oversee executive staff appointments. In the end, it seemed, as Krens stated to the Basques' great satisfaction (at the Bilbao press conference held to announce the agreement). the GMB was "now a Basque institution." For the time being opposition to the project died down.