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Title : Spain Scraps Catalan Govt, Calls for Regional Elections
link : Spain Scraps Catalan Govt, Calls for Regional Elections
Spain Scraps Catalan Govt, Calls for Regional Elections
| teleSUR | Oct 21, 2017 |
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| Stickers reading "Democracy!" are seen on Spanish and Catalan flags during the day of a protest against the transfer of the Sabadell and Caixa banks' headquarters out of Barcelona, Spain, October 20, 2017. | Photo: Reuters |
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has announced in a press conference that his government will apply Article 155 of the Constitution to the Catalan government in order to “protect the general interest of the nation.”
The move is in response to Catalan President Carles Puigdemont’s refusal to pledge allegiance to Madrid. Rajoy is also calling for Puigdemont’s imprisonment.
Rajoy said the next steps are to remove executive branch members and Puigdemont from their roles. They will also remove the Catalan Parliament president, vice president and all council members who played a direct or indirect role in advocating for Catalonia’s independence. Moreover, Madrid is preparing to accuse all of them, including Puigdemont, of rebellion against the government. If found guilty, they could face a prison sentence of up to thirty years.
National ministries will take over their responsibilities until elections are held. Rajoy has six months to hold elections, but wants to hold them as soon as possible.
Rajoy also announced that Madrid will decrease Catalan parliamentary roles and current Catalan leaders won’t be able to propose a candidate for the upcoming election.
This is the first time in Spain’s history that the government has announced it will use the 39-year-old Article 155.
Several European Union officials have announced their support for Rajoy, with others staying on the sidelines, saying “this is a Spain issue.”
Rajoy added at the press conference that all of these measures still have to be approved by the National Assembly. Authorities are currently filing paperwork to put Article 155 into action.
The prime minister claimed Madrid isn’t taking over Catalan “autonomy” or “suspending government functions,” but will continue to function “under the orders of new authorities, designated by the Spanish Government.” He reiterated that Puigdemont “couldn’t have acted worse in the last few days,” saying “it wasn’t our wish to apply Article 155, but the law can’t be ignored.”
Catalan pro-independence activists are out in the streets of Barcelona today to protest Rajoy’s announcement. For several days, protesters have gathered in the city to protest the imprisonment without trial of Catalan National Assembly leader Jordi Sanchez and separatist movement activist Jordi Cuixart.
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