Catalonia held elections on September 27 for support for independence

USPA NEWS - The Prime Minister of the Spanish region of Catalonia, Artur Mas, signed Monday night in the decree of convocation of the regional elections on 27 September, which wants to become a plebiscite in order to declare independence if it obtains a majority sufficient at the polls.

The president Mas and other members of his Government had advanced that the decree of election call was to adjust strictly to the Spanish laws, in order to avoid an appeal of the Government of the nation before the Constitutional Court. However, further warned that if the candidacy of the separatist formations earn enough majority, understood as a clear mandate of Catalan society in favor of independence, and in this case, a maximum of six months from the celebration the elections would declare independence unilaterally.

In an appearance after signing the decree, the Catalan president explained that "Catalonia is not living in normal conditions" because "when a majority of citizens of this country want to exercise their right to freely and democratically decide and again and again is denied, it is an exceptional situation which requires exceptional measures." But he appealed to "respecting all that citizens decide" and called for finding ways to "negotiate the mandate of the polls."

The elections of September 27 will be the third to be held in Catalonia in less than five years, after those held in November 2010 and also anticipated the end of 2012. This time, the call for regional elections in Catalonia is the result of sovereigntist bet CDC -Democratic Convergence of Catalonia, the nationalist formation president of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas- and the lack of solid majorities in recent calls, which have prevented stable government in this region of northeastern Spain.

The CDC independence bid has the support of the Left parties Podemos, ICV and EUiA, united under the name 'Catalunya Si que es Pot' (Catalonia possible). Facing them are the Popular Party (PP) of the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy; the Socialist Party (PSC), the formation centrist Citizens (C's) and the CDC until now partner in the Catalan Government, Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC), nationalist formation which advocates dialogue and scrupulous respect for the law.

On July 27, King Philip VI received in the Zarzuela Palace, in Madrid, the president of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas. It was learned later, the monarch considered "irreconducible" Catalan political posture. For its part, the Spanish Government announced that it will appeal in Court any attempt to break the constitutional order and it is possible that if the situation gets out of control, the Executive apply Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which provides for the suspension of the autonomy and the intervention of the central Government in regional institutions when the rulers of a territory repeatedly violate laws and disregard the requirements to return to legality.