Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

A9
WORLD NEWS Wednesday 31 January 2018

Catalan parliament postpones re-election of fugitive leader

By JOSEPH WILSON and CI- separatists, with Puigde-
ARAN GILES mont’s party caught off
Associated Press guard by it and even the
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — former Catalan leader ex-
Catalan separatist lawmak- pressing open disappoint-
ers who want to re-elect ment in a video released
their fugitive ex-president on social media late Tues-
suffered a setback Tuesday day.
when the house speaker “My intentions remain in-
postponed a planned re- tact,” Puigdemont said in
gional parliament meet- the video, calling for pro-
ing, saying it wouldn’t take independence lawmak-
place until there were guar- ers to remain unified in
antees Spanish authorities the goal of his re-election.
“won’t interfere.” “There is no other possible
The decision by Roger Tor- candidate o other possible
rent came after Spain’s arithmetic combination,”
top court ruled Saturday he added.
that Carles Puigdemont, Earlier in the day, the cham-
who fled to Belgium three ber’s speaker had defend-
months ago and faces ar- ed the move to postpone
rest if he returns, could only the plenary while remain-
be re-elected if physically ing loyal to Puigdemont.
present in the parliament in “I am not going to propose
Barcelona. a candidate other than Demonstrators wearing masks of Catalonia’s ex-president Carles Puigdemont shout slogans
The court also ordered that Puigdemont,” Torrent said. during a protest outside the Catalonia parliament in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.
he must obtain permission “President Puigdemont has Associated Press
to appear at parliament all the right to be elected.” lonia, a region of 7.5 million takes office following elec- demonstration was largely
from the judge investigat- “The Spanish government inhabitants that represents tions held Dec. 21. peaceful, but some partici-
ing him over Catalonia’s and the Constitutional a fifth of Spain’s gross do- Dozens of extra police pants broke through police
independence bid. court aim to violate the mestic product. were deployed outside the cordons into the park and
The Constitutional Court re- rights of millions of Cata- Puigdemont is one of more parliament building in cen- made their way to parlia-
jected an appeal by Puig- lans and this we will not ac- than a dozen Catalan po- tral Barcelona and helicop- ment’s gates, producing
demont’s party Tuesday, in cept,” he added. litical figures facing pos- ters hovered overhead in a brief clashes with anti-
effect denying the speak- Spain’s government wel- sible rebellion and sedition bid to detect Puigdemont riot police, The protesters
er’s demands to allow comed Torrent’s decision. charges following the pre- if he tried to turn up clan- shouted slogans in support
Puigdemont’s re-election An official speaking anony- vious parliament’s illegal destinely. Border controls of Puigdemont and Cata-
without legal impediments. mously in line with govern- and unsuccessful declara- have also been stepped in lonia’s independence.
The delay in the re-election ment rules said that pres- tion of independence in recent days. Several hun- Their numbers dwindled
leaves the future govern- sure applied by the gov- October, which brought dred pro-independence after dusk, but around
ment of the prosperous ernment and the country’s Spain’s worst political crisis supporters rallied near 100 people set up camp
region in something of a top court “have prevented in decades to a head. a park surrounding the and planned to spend the
limbo. a mockery of our democ- Spain seized control of the building, many donning night near the regional
The parliament was initially racy.” region by firing Puigdemont Puigdemont masks. The parliament.q
scheduled to have a first in- Earlier, Prime Minister Mari- and his government and
vestiture vote by Wednes- ano Rajoy urged the Cat- dissolving parliament fol-
day, but it’s now not known alan parliament to drop lowing the independence
when the speaker may call Puigdemont’s candidacy declaration.
it. and opt for a “clean can- It says it will keep control
The sudden suspension also didate” who was willing to until a new government
exposed divisions among restore normalcy in Cata-

/arubatoday/