Catalonia given time to clear up secession confusion
SPAIN’S PRIME minister has said the central government has given Catalonia’s leader a deadline of Monday to clarify whether he declared independence from Spain.
Mariano Rajoy said if Catalan president Carles Puigdemont’s response is that he indeed has formally proclaimed independence, he will have a few more days to drop the implementation of the declaration.
Both deadlines have been in- cluded in a formal demand sent to the Catalan government.
Mr Rajoy announced the measure yesterday in a veiled threat to trigger a constitutional article that could suspend Catalonia’s autonomous powers.
Mr Rajoy had earlier stressed that Mr Puigdemont’s response would be crucial in deciding “events over the coming days” and he said he “just needs to say he didn’t declare independence”.
The government “wants to offer certainty to citizens” and it was “necessary to return tranquillity and calm”, he said after a special cabinet meeting.
Mr Rajoy’s demand was in response to Mr Puigdemont’s announcement that he was proceeding with a declaration of independence following the disputed referendum held on October 1, but suspending the move for several weeks to allow talks.
Speaking yesterday, the prime minister said the referendum was part of a strategy “to impose independence that few want and is good for nobody”.
The ensuing crisis, he said, was “one of the most difficult times in our recent history”.
Mr Rajoy said Catalan authorities broke the law by holding the referendum and incited street protests to give an appearance of legitimacy to the vote.
In a highly anticipated speech Tuesday night, Mr Puigdemont said the landslide victory in the disputed referendum gave his government in the regional capital, Barcelona, the grounds to implement its long-held desire to break ties with Spain.
But he proposed the regional parliament suspend the declaration’s effects to leave room for dialogue and to help reduce tensions surrounding the crisis.