Catalan President officially calls elections, cautious of potential Spanish Government ban
CNA
Barcelona (ACN).- The President of the Catalan
Government, Artur Mas, has signed this Monday evening a decree
officially calling Catalan Parliament elections for this coming 27
September. These elections are expected to be transformed into a ‘de
facto’ plebiscite on independence from Spain, after the Spanish
Government has rejected for the last 3 years any negotiation over
organising a mutually-agreed self-determination vote, ignoring the clear
democratic mandate from the previous Catalan elections that took place
in November 2012. These elections are “very similar to the previous ones
in their form, but very different in their substance”, stated Mas
after the signing. The decree is ultimately very similar to the
previous documents calling Catalan Parliament elections. It has been
signed this Monday evening in order not to give Spanish authorities any
time to appeal against it before it is published on Tuesday morning in
the Catalan Government’s Official Journal, entering into force in that
moment. The official electoral campaign will start on the night of 10
September and the newly elected Parliament should hold its first session
by mid-October. The election of the President of the Catalan Government
should be then scheduled within the next 15 days.
On Monday at 21.00, the Catalan President Artur Mas signed the
decree that officially dissolves the Catalan Parliament and calls
citizens to elect a new one on 27 September. Rumours during the past few
weeks suggested that this Monday would be the day selected for the
signing of the decree. However, this was only confirmed on Sunday
evening and the details of the signing ceremony were only made known at
19.00 on Monday.
The signing of the decree calling the 27 September elections has been
surrounded by an unusual level ofdiscretion about its exact content, as
there has been significant speculationover whether the Spanish
authorities could appeal against the decree and stop the Catalan
elections from happening if they were becoming a plebiscite on
independence.
In fact, in the past few weeks, and increasingly in the past few
days, Spanish authorities have been warning Mas that he can only call
“elections to the Autonomous Community Parliament” and have emphasised
that there are several legal mechanisms to stop independence from
happening, including the suspension of Catalonia’s autonomy or partially
withdrawing some of the Catalan Government’s powers.
In fact, on Monday morning, the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya
Sáenz de Santamaría, repeated once again that they will only be
elections to the Catalan Parliament and severely criticised Mas.
According to a statement made Monday noon by Marta Pascal, the new
Spokesperson for Mas’ Liberal party CDC, which is chaired by Mas, the
Catalan President “will be very cautious” in order to avoid any appeal
from the Spanish authorities. “I don’t know whether [Spanish Prime
Minister] Rajoy is tempted or not” to appeal against the decree calling
the Catalan elections, she said answering a journalist’s question, but
the decree “will be in line with the legal framework”. “Where Catalans
have put dialogue and ballot boxes, the Spanish State has answered with
fears, threats and judicial complaints”, stressed Pascal.
“In exceptional situations, exceptional decisions are required”
A short but solemn ceremony was organised to frame the signing at the
Generalitat Palace in Barcelona and the event was broadcast live, with
the Catalan President giving an institutional speech afterwards.
Mas stressed that the decree was “very similar to the previous ones
in their form, but very different in their substance”. He also stressed
that two years ago he already stated before the Catalan Parliament that,
if the Spanish Government, continued to impede Catalans from holding “a
legal and mutually-agreed vote”, he would call early elections,
transformed into a ‘de facto’ plebiscite. This moment has now come,
after the Spanish authorities “have impeded any dialogue and any
negotiation” on this issue for the last 3 years, Mas emphasised.
According to the Catalan President, “we wanted a consultation vote on
our country’s future” and calling Catalan Parliament elections is the
only way left, after the Spanish Government’s unilateral blocking. “In
exceptional situations, exceptional decisions are required”, he added.
Now, in the framework of the forthcoming elections, Mas asked all
parties to present “their proposals for this country’s future”. The
Catalan President asked everybody “to respect the results” and stressed
his “commitment to implementing the democratic mandate” resulting from
the elections. “All proposals, if they respect human rights, are
legitimate in democracy”, he highlighted. Finally, Mas underlined that
Catalonia is “a nation with a thousand years” of history and that it
“has the right to decide on its future”, as “a nation of free people”,
stressing also that “plurality and respect for each other’s opinions are
virtues” that have to prevail above all in order to build “a future
shaped on democracy”.
decree that officially dissolves the Catalan Parliament and calls
citizens to elect a new one on 27 September. Rumours during the past few
weeks suggested that this Monday would be the day selected for the
signing of the decree. However, this was only confirmed on Sunday
evening and the details of the signing ceremony were only made known at
19.00 on Monday.
The signing of the decree calling the 27 September elections has been
surrounded by an unusual level ofdiscretion about its exact content, as
there has been significant speculationover whether the Spanish
authorities could appeal against the decree and stop the Catalan
elections from happening if they were becoming a plebiscite on
independence.
In fact, in the past few weeks, and increasingly in the past few
days, Spanish authorities have been warning Mas that he can only call
“elections to the Autonomous Community Parliament” and have emphasised
that there are several legal mechanisms to stop independence from
happening, including the suspension of Catalonia’s autonomy or partially
withdrawing some of the Catalan Government’s powers.
In fact, on Monday morning, the Spanish Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya
Sáenz de Santamaría, repeated once again that they will only be
elections to the Catalan Parliament and severely criticised Mas.
According to a statement made Monday noon by Marta Pascal, the new
Spokesperson for Mas’ Liberal party CDC, which is chaired by Mas, the
Catalan President “will be very cautious” in order to avoid any appeal
from the Spanish authorities. “I don’t know whether [Spanish Prime
Minister] Rajoy is tempted or not” to appeal against the decree calling
the Catalan elections, she said answering a journalist’s question, but
the decree “will be in line with the legal framework”. “Where Catalans
have put dialogue and ballot boxes, the Spanish State has answered with
fears, threats and judicial complaints”, stressed Pascal.
“In exceptional situations, exceptional decisions are required”
A short but solemn ceremony was organised to frame the signing at the
Generalitat Palace in Barcelona and the event was broadcast live, with
the Catalan President giving an institutional speech afterwards.
Mas stressed that the decree was “very similar to the previous ones
in their form, but very different in their substance”. He also stressed
that two years ago he already stated before the Catalan Parliament that,
if the Spanish Government, continued to impede Catalans from holding “a
legal and mutually-agreed vote”, he would call early elections,
transformed into a ‘de facto’ plebiscite. This moment has now come,
after the Spanish authorities “have impeded any dialogue and any
negotiation” on this issue for the last 3 years, Mas emphasised.
According to the Catalan President, “we wanted a consultation vote on
our country’s future” and calling Catalan Parliament elections is the
only way left, after the Spanish Government’s unilateral blocking. “In
exceptional situations, exceptional decisions are required”, he added.
Now, in the framework of the forthcoming elections, Mas asked all
parties to present “their proposals for this country’s future”. The
Catalan President asked everybody “to respect the results” and stressed
his “commitment to implementing the democratic mandate” resulting from
the elections. “All proposals, if they respect human rights, are
legitimate in democracy”, he highlighted. Finally, Mas underlined that
Catalonia is “a nation with a thousand years” of history and that it
“has the right to decide on its future”, as “a nation of free people”,
stressing also that “plurality and respect for each other’s opinions are
virtues” that have to prevail above all in order to build “a future
shaped on democracy”.
More on
Artur Mas, Catalan Elections, Catalan Government, Catalan Independence, Catalan Parliament, Democracy, Early Elections, European Union, Independence, Self-Determination, Spanish Government, Vote
The Catalan President, Artur Mas, giving an institutional speech after having called the elections (by R. Moreno / ACN)
