Catalonia defiant over independence vote

Regional leaders in Catalonia have moved to defy the central government in Madrid and go ahead with a ballot on independence even though Spain’s constitutional court has ordered the vote suspended.

While the pro-independence Catalan government tried to flex its muscles, most of the opposition to the vote – both regional and national – rallied around conservative prime minister Mariano Rajoy and his efforts to crush the planned October 1 ballot.

The state prosecutor targeted members of the Catalan parliament and the Barcelona-based regional government in separate lawsuits.

The prosecutor’s document asked judges to look into possible disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement charges against officials.

Despite the court’s suspension of the vote and the legal threats, regional president Carles Puigdemont has pushed ahead with ballot preparations.

Officials claim they have enlisted 560 Catalan town halls to open for the ballot, despite letters sent by Spain’s central authorities to the region’s 947 mayors warning them to impede the vote.

President Carles Puigdemont.