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Latest candidate for Catalan presidency to learn fate in Madrid Spanish supreme court charges 13 Catalan leaders with rebellion
(about 1 hour later)
Catalonia’s latest presidential candidate is to appear in court hours after the region’s most hardline pro-independence party scuppered his first attempt to be elected by abstaining from an investiture debate. A Spanish supreme court judge has charged 13 senior Catalan leaders, including the region’s deposed president and the candidate chosen to succeed him, with rebellion over their roles in last year’s unilateral referendum and subsequent declaration of independence.
Jordi Turull and five other separatist leaders have been summoned to the supreme court in Madrid on Friday to learn what action they will face over their roles in last year’s unilateral referendum and subsequent declaration of independence. The charges, announced on Friday morning by Judge Pablo Llarena, carry a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment and were brought against both Carles Puigdemont, the former president in exile in Belgium, and Jordi Turul, who faces a vote on Saturday to take up the post.
One of the six, Marta Rovira, general secretary of the Catalan Republican Left party, failed to attend court and sent a letter to colleagues explaining that she had fled Spain and gone into exile. Llarena, announcing the charges, said that Catalan separatist politicians and civil society groups had “colluded” for the past six years to execute a plan to declare Catalonia’s independence, in violation of Spain’s legal order.
Facing rebellion charges that carry maximum 30-year sentences, they could be remanded in custody when they appear on Friday. If charged, Turull could be barred from holding office. The court did not give a date for the trial.
A former chief of staff to the deposed Catalan president, Carles Puigdemont, Turull is the third presidential candidate to have been proposed, and had the backing of the two main independence parties, Together for Catalonia and the Catalan Republican Left. Among those also charged with the same offence are the former Catalan vice-president, Oriol Junqueras, the former speaker of the Catalan parliament, Carme Forcadell, and the senior civil society group figures Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez.
But his hopes of securing the regional parliament’s support were dashed on Thursday after the far-left, anti-capitalist Popular Unity Candidacy (Cup) announced that it would no longer work in coalition with the two larger pro-independence parties. Marta Rovira, the general secretary of Junqueras’ Catalan Republican Left party, failed to appear in court Madrid, explaining in a letter that she was fleeing Spain. She was also charged with rebellion.
The decision came at the end of a four-month judicial investigation into the Puigdemont government’s attempts to secede unilaterally from Spain. The former president fled to Belgium last autumn and faces immediate arrest if he returns to Spain.
The announcement of the charges followed Thursday night’s investiture debate in the Catalan parliament, in which Turull’s first attempt to be elected was scuppered by the region’s most hardline pro-independence party.
Turull, Puigdemont’s former chief of staff and the third candidate to be proposed for the presidency since the elections last December, failed to win the support of the regional parliament after the far-left, anti-capitalist Popular Unity Candidacy (Cup) announced that it would no longer work in coalition with the two larger pro-independence parties.
Turull, who avoided mentioning independence in his speech to MPs and called for “dialogue, dialogue and dialogue” with Madrid, fell short of the absolute majority needed, with 64 votes in favour and 65 against.Turull, who avoided mentioning independence in his speech to MPs and called for “dialogue, dialogue and dialogue” with Madrid, fell short of the absolute majority needed, with 64 votes in favour and 65 against.
The Cup’s four votes in the chamber would have handed him victory, but it withdrew its support in protest at the other parties’ refusal to give an explicit guarantee that they would push ahead with unilateral independence.The Cup’s four votes in the chamber would have handed him victory, but it withdrew its support in protest at the other parties’ refusal to give an explicit guarantee that they would push ahead with unilateral independence.
“We at the Cup consider that this phase of the independence movement is over,” said the party spokesman Carles Riera. “We are joining the opposition to continue our struggle with the state and to fight those who want to sustain the current regional model.”“We at the Cup consider that this phase of the independence movement is over,” said the party spokesman Carles Riera. “We are joining the opposition to continue our struggle with the state and to fight those who want to sustain the current regional model.”
Three Catalan Republican Left MPs who are scheduled to appear at the supreme court resigned their seats immediately after the vote. The move allows others to take their places, thus safeguarding votes. Rovira and two other Catalan Republican Left MPs who were due in court on Friday resigned their seats immediately after the vote. The move allows others to take their places, thus safeguarding votes.
While it remains to be seen what action the judge, Pablo Llarena, will take, a second investiture debate is due to be held on Saturday, in which a simple majority – more votes for than against – is needed. A second investiture debate is due to be held on Saturday, in which a simple majority – more votes for than against – is needed.
The debate on Thursday has started the constitutional and electoral clock ticking. Parties have two months to propose and elect a presidential candidate. If none is successful within that time, fresh Catalan elections will be held in mid-July.The debate on Thursday has started the constitutional and electoral clock ticking. Parties have two months to propose and elect a presidential candidate. If none is successful within that time, fresh Catalan elections will be held in mid-July.
Catalonia has been under direct rule from Madrid since the end of October, when Spain’s prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, responded to the unilateral independence declaration by sacking Puigdemont and his government and calling snap elections that were held in December. Catalonia has been under direct rule from Madrid since the end of October, when Spain’s prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, responded to the unilateral independence declaration by sacking Puigdemont and his government and calling snap elections.
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