Split over Catalonia leader:
Europe
The regional parliament of Catalonia met Tuesday to try to choose a new regional president, a day after the chamber approved a plan to set up a road map for independence from Spain by 2017.
Artur Mas, the head of the pro-secession group and acting regional president, was seeking majority support in the 135seat chamber. But radical pro-independence allies have pledged to vote against him Tuesday because of his support for austerity measures and his party’s links to corruption scandals.
Mas and the “Together for Yes” alliance won 62 seats in September elections, but need the far-left CUP party and its 10 seats for a majority.
The two pushed through Monday’s independence resolution with a 72-63 vote.
The Spanish government has pledged to halt the independence drive.
The Constitutional Court is expected this week to suspend the secession plan while its legality is studied, but Monday’s resolution specifically orders the regional Catalan government not to heed the decisions of Spain’s highest court. However, under a new law, the court is empowered to suspend public officials who ignore its rulings.
The secession resolution gives the regional government formed by the newlyelected president 30 days to start working on a new Catalan constitution - which would later be voted on in a referendum by the summer of 2017 - and begin establishing a new tax office and social security administration. (AP)