Few Catalans want to pursue split from Spain - : poll

MADRID - Barely a quarter of Catalans want to continue with a plan to claim independence from Spain in the wake of December 21 regional elections, according to a poll published in El Pais newspaper yesterday.

An illegal Catalan independence referendum on October 1 plunged Spain into its worst political crisis in decades. It eased after the sacking of the secessionist Catalan authorities by the Madrid government elicited little resistance. But uncertainty could return if the pro-independence camp wins in the Decembr 21 vote.

Just 24 percent of those polled by Metroscopia said they would like to continue with the independence process after the elections, whereas 71 percent said they would prefer politicians to find an agreement based on Catalonia staying part of Spain.

Pro-independence parties may fail to retain an absolute majority of seats in the Catalan parliament in next month’s election, the first part of the poll published on Sunday showed.

However, the survey’s margin of error at 2.4 percent and the fact support was evenly split between the two sides makes reading conclusions from polls difficult. The telephone poll surveyed 1, 800 Catalans between November 20 and November 22.

Failure to capture a majority in the regional parliament would be a heavy blow for Catalan separatists who have billed the election as a plebiscite on Madrid’s decision to impose direct rule on the region last month.

The October referendum produced a large majority in favour of independence, but turnout was only 43 percent because many who opposed the breakaway did not vote. - REUTERS.