On September 19, a day after Scotland voted against independence from the U.K., the Catalan parliament in Barcelona passed a law allowing a referendum on its independence issue with the approval of more than two-thirds of its members. Catalan President Artur Mas also signed a decree regarding it on September 27, 2014.
Catalonians, who are largely in favor of seceding from Spain, had taken to the streets of Barcelona to celebrate the decision.
Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, however, asked the Council of States, a Spanish advisory body, for its opinion on the new consultation process and filed a legal case against the move at the Constitutional Court.
Mas had accused the government of "abusing its power and the law" to resolve political conflicts.
The symbolic consultation process was proposed by Catalonia's government in October as an alternative plan after the Constitutional Court blocked an earlier Catalan bid to hold a referendum on its independence.
The recent Basque calls for independence dates back to the early 1960s. Armed separatist groups such as the ETA also launched attacks against the Spanish state in 1961.
By Felix Tih
www.aa.com.tr/en
4/11/14
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Catalans to hold vote in spite of block ...
ReplyDeleteThe government of Spain's defiant and wealthy Catalan region put itself on a collision course with Madrid on Tuesday by vowing to press ahead with a symbolic independence vote this weekend despite a court-ordered block.
The Barcelona-based administration will also launch a lawsuit against Spain's central government for "curbing freedom of expression" by seeking to stop the vote through the Constitutional Court, Catalan government spokesman Francesc Homs said.
The court on Tuesday suspended the vote, a move certain to stoke frustration among Catalans, the majority of whom favor a referendum.
Spain's government, who argues the 1978 constitution protects the unity of Spain, had asked the court to block the "consultation of citizens" called by Catalonia's government on grounds it was a thinly disguised way to get around the court's suspension of a referendum on secession. Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn out on Sunday to hold demonstrations in favor of independence and try to vote anyway, however. Civil organizations and even some town halls have pledged they will organize "unofficial" ballots.
Catalonia's President Artur Mas has said local elections due in November 2016 could be brought forward and turned into a plebiscite on the region breaking away from Spain.
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/890060.shtml
4/11/14