Ousted Catalan leader calls for united front for independence
Facing arrest warrant in Belgium, where he traveled after firing, Carles Puigdemont says he might run in campaign from abroad
Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont called on Saturday for a united political front in the December 21 election to continue the drive for independence from Spain and protest against the imprisonment of former members of the regional government.
Puigdemont, who went to Belgium after his government was fired following a unilateral declaration of independence, said Friday he was considering running from Brussels.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called the snap election after taking control of Catalonia a week ago.
Political parties that wish to run on a common platform have until Tuesday to register any potential coalition and until November 18 to put forward their candidates.
“It is time for all democrats to join together. For Catalonia, for the freedom of political prisoners and for the republic,” Puigdemont said in a tweet that included the hashtag llistaunitaria.cat, a site calling for parties to unite against the Spanish government at the ballot box. Signatures on the website rose to over 40,000 from just 2,000 within a few hours of Puigdemont’s tweet.
In a poll published on Tuesday, the pro-independence coalition Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) was seen winning with 35.2% if the vote were held immediately. That would return a parliamentary majority to independence supporters if the group stuck with its current pact with far-left CUP party.
The wealthy northeastern region continues to be evenly split between those who support leaving Spain and those who wish to remain, according to polls taken since the declaration of independence.
If pro-independence parties run on different tickets, it may be difficult for them to win a parliamentary majority, though the imprisonment of former government members may help unite an electorate already wary of Madrid’s tactics.
Pro-Spain candidates including Rajoy’s People’s Party, the Socialists and market-friendly Ciudadanos were out canvassing on Saturday with modest rallies in the region calling for the so-called silent majority to vote en masse in December.
Ines Arrimadas, the head of regional opposition Ciudadanos, called for anti-independence parties to join together on Tuesday. She singled out the Socialists and Podemos-associated Catalunya Si Que Es Pot to clarify if they would run with the independence ERC party in the election.
ERC general secretary Marta Rovira said on Saturday the party might shun the election if the politicians jailed pending trial were not freed before the vote.
“It is up to the state to show it’s democratic. Let the prisoners go free so they can take part in the election normally,” she said.
On Thursday, nine members of Puigdemont’s sacked cabinet were ordered by Spain’s High Court to be held on remand pending an investigation and potential trial. On Friday, Spain issued an arrest warrant for Puigdemont and four associates to answer charges of rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds, disobedience and breach of trust relating to their secessionist campaign.
Catalan civic groups Asamblea Nacional Catalana and Omnium Cultural – whose leaders were imprisoned last month on sedition charges – have called for a general strike on November 8 and a mass demonstration on November 11.
Puigdemont has said he would not return to Spain until he has been given unspecified “guarantees” by the Spanish government. Following the warrant, any extradition process could take 45 days, though this could be extended up to 90 days.
Puigdemont reiterated on Saturday in a tweet that he would fully cooperate with Belgian justice authorities following the warrant.