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| Catalonia election set to give victory to pro-independence parties | Catalonia election set to give victory to pro-independence parties |
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| Catalan pro-independence parties look set to hold on to their absolute majority in Thursday’s snap regional elections, dealing a severe blow to the Spanish government, which called the polls in the hope of heading off the secessionist threat. | Catalan pro-independence parties look set to hold on to their absolute majority in Thursday’s snap regional elections, dealing a severe blow to the Spanish government, which called the polls in the hope of heading off the secessionist threat. |
| With 90% of the votes counted, the three separatist parties are on course to win 70 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament even though the centre-right Citizens party appears to be the single party with the most seats. | With 90% of the votes counted, the three separatist parties are on course to win 70 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament even though the centre-right Citizens party appears to be the single party with the most seats. |
| Together for Catalonia, the party led by deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, is expected to take 34 seats, the Catalan Republican Left 32 and the far-left, anti-capitalist Popular Unity Candidacy four. Between them, they will have enough seats to reassemble the parliamentary majority that put them into office after the 2015 elections. | Together for Catalonia, the party led by deposed Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, is expected to take 34 seats, the Catalan Republican Left 32 and the far-left, anti-capitalist Popular Unity Candidacy four. Between them, they will have enough seats to reassemble the parliamentary majority that put them into office after the 2015 elections. |
| The Citizens party, which has taken a fiercely anti-independence stance, is on track to win 36 seats, the Catalan socialist party 17, Catalunya en Comú-Podem (the Catalan version of the anti-austerity Podemos party) eight and the conservative People’s party four. | |
| Xavier Albiol, the leader of the Catalan People’s party, congratulated the Citizens party on its results and conceded it had not gone well for his own party. | |
| Thursday’s snap election was called in October by the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, after he used article 155 of the constitution to take control of Catalonia and sack its government over its unilateral independence referendum and subsequent declaration of independence. | Thursday’s snap election was called in October by the Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, after he used article 155 of the constitution to take control of Catalonia and sack its government over its unilateral independence referendum and subsequent declaration of independence. |
| The vote, which has pitted secessionists against unionists, attracted a record turnout of 80%, dispelling fears that holding the election on a weekday rather than the usual Sunday would hit turnout appeared to have been unfounded. | The vote, which has pitted secessionists against unionists, attracted a record turnout of 80%, dispelling fears that holding the election on a weekday rather than the usual Sunday would hit turnout appeared to have been unfounded. |
| Puigdemont has been campaigning from Belgium after fleeing to Brussels on the grounds that he would not receive a fair trial in Spain over possible charges of rebellion, sedition and misuses of public funds. | Puigdemont has been campaigning from Belgium after fleeing to Brussels on the grounds that he would not receive a fair trial in Spain over possible charges of rebellion, sedition and misuses of public funds. |
| His former vice-president, Oriol Junqeras, leader of the ERC, is in prison along with two prominent pro-independence leaders. | His former vice-president, Oriol Junqeras, leader of the ERC, is in prison along with two prominent pro-independence leaders. |
| Speaking as the count neared completion, the vice-president of the grassroots pro-independence Catalan National Assembly declared victory and demanded the release of the Catalan leaders who have been jailed pending investigations into their roles in the referendum and independence declaration. | Speaking as the count neared completion, the vice-president of the grassroots pro-independence Catalan National Assembly declared victory and demanded the release of the Catalan leaders who have been jailed pending investigations into their roles in the referendum and independence declaration. |
| “The independence movement has won the elections,” said Agustí Alcoberro. | “The independence movement has won the elections,” said Agustí Alcoberro. |
| “The citizens of Catalonia have revoked 155 and the suspension of autonomy. We demand the release of the political prisoners and the representatives in exile and the restitution of the legitimate government.” | “The citizens of Catalonia have revoked 155 and the suspension of autonomy. We demand the release of the political prisoners and the representatives in exile and the restitution of the legitimate government.” |
| Earlier on Thursday, Puigdemont said the election was “extraordinarily important” as its results would yield “the formula to recover democracy”. He added: “It’s not normal, an election that takes place with candidates in prison and candidates in exile.” | Earlier on Thursday, Puigdemont said the election was “extraordinarily important” as its results would yield “the formula to recover democracy”. He added: “It’s not normal, an election that takes place with candidates in prison and candidates in exile.” |
| The deposed leader thanked an anonymous 18-year-old woman who cast her ballot on his behalf. | The deposed leader thanked an anonymous 18-year-old woman who cast her ballot on his behalf. |
| Junqueras, meanwhile, appeared to take a more moderate line, saying that if he were to become president, he would continue to seek independence but would also “build bridges and shake hands” with the Spanish state. | Junqueras, meanwhile, appeared to take a more moderate line, saying that if he were to become president, he would continue to seek independence but would also “build bridges and shake hands” with the Spanish state. |
| “I can assure you that we are democrats before we are separatists and that the aim [of gaining independence] does not always justify the means,” he told Reuters in a written interview published on Monday. | “I can assure you that we are democrats before we are separatists and that the aim [of gaining independence] does not always justify the means,” he told Reuters in a written interview published on Monday. |
| Inés Arrimadas, the leader of the Catalan branch of the national Citizens party, had vowed to ensure the region awoke “from this nightmare of the independence push” and to work to restore social cohesion. | Inés Arrimadas, the leader of the Catalan branch of the national Citizens party, had vowed to ensure the region awoke “from this nightmare of the independence push” and to work to restore social cohesion. |
| Thursday’s vote is the latest chapter in the extraordinary showdown that has pitched the defiantly separatist former government of Catalonia against the Madrid authorities and brought about Spain’s worst political crisis since its return to democracy four decades ago. | Thursday’s vote is the latest chapter in the extraordinary showdown that has pitched the defiantly separatist former government of Catalonia against the Madrid authorities and brought about Spain’s worst political crisis since its return to democracy four decades ago. |
| The pro-independence movement, which has grown over the past five years, raised the stakes in June, when Puigdemont announced that a unilateral referendum would be held on 1 October, with Catalans asked: “Do you want Catalonia to be an independent country in the form of a republic?” | The pro-independence movement, which has grown over the past five years, raised the stakes in June, when Puigdemont announced that a unilateral referendum would be held on 1 October, with Catalans asked: “Do you want Catalonia to be an independent country in the form of a republic?” |
| Despite warnings from the Spanish government and the country’s constitutional court that the vote was illegal, Puigdemont pressed ahead with the referendum, in which 90% of participants opted for independence on a turnout of 42%. | Despite warnings from the Spanish government and the country’s constitutional court that the vote was illegal, Puigdemont pressed ahead with the referendum, in which 90% of participants opted for independence on a turnout of 42%. |
| The day was marred by violence when Spanish police who had been instructed to halt the plebiscite dragged voters out of polling stations, beat them with truncheons and fired rubber bullets. | The day was marred by violence when Spanish police who had been instructed to halt the plebiscite dragged voters out of polling stations, beat them with truncheons and fired rubber bullets. |
| At the end of October, MPs in the regional parliament again defied the central government by voting for independence by a margin of 70 votes to 10 as dozens of opposition MPs boycotted the secret ballot. | At the end of October, MPs in the regional parliament again defied the central government by voting for independence by a margin of 70 votes to 10 as dozens of opposition MPs boycotted the secret ballot. |
| Rajoy responded by invoking the never-before-used article 155 of the Spanish constitution to take control of Catalonia, sack the regional government and call snap elections. | Rajoy responded by invoking the never-before-used article 155 of the Spanish constitution to take control of Catalonia, sack the regional government and call snap elections. |
| Speaking hours after the October vote in the Catalan parliament, Rajoy said the elections were intended to restore democracy and “the self-government that has been eliminated by the decisions of the Catalan government” | Speaking hours after the October vote in the Catalan parliament, Rajoy said the elections were intended to restore democracy and “the self-government that has been eliminated by the decisions of the Catalan government” |