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Friday 22 december 2017
Catalan parties that want split from Spain leading election

By ARITZ PARRA ed record turnout numbers, polling stations. Separatist
CIARAN GILES but a final figure wasn’t im- regional lawmakers made
Associated Press mediately given so it’s not a unilateral declaration
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) clear if that milestone had of independence on Oct.
— Catalan political par- been reached. 27, prompting Spain’s na-
ties that support indepen- The election was held un- tional government to take
dence from Spain were der highly unusual circum- the dramatic step of firing
poised to regain a major- stances, with several pro- the regional government
ity in Catalonia’s regional independence leaders ei- and dissolving the Catalan
parliament, according to ther jailed or in exile for their parliament. Courts later or-
provisional results with more roles in staging the Oct. 1 in- dered the arrest of the for-
than 90 percent of votes dependence vote that was mer Catalan leaders.
counted Thursday. declared illegal by Spain’s No incidents were reported
Unless the results change highest court. Former Cata- during the election Thurs-
after the final votes are lan President Carles Puig- day. Spanish Prime Minister
counted, the three seces- demont campaigned from Mariano Rajoy called the
sionist parties together Belgium, where he is evad- early election, which he is
have won enough votes for ing a Spanish arrest warrant hoping will keep the sepa-
70 seats in the 135-seat as- in a rebellion and sedition ratists out of power. The
sembly. probe. strategy could backfire,
However, the pro-union “It’s not normal, an elec- however, if the election
Citizens party looks set to tion that takes place with delivers a pro-indepen-
become the biggest single candidates in prison and dence majority of lawmak-
party, with 35 seats in the candidates in exile,” Puig- ers in the Catalan parlia-
parliament. demont said in the Bel- ment. Even so, Rajoy says
The result would mean that gian capital. In a tweet, Catalan independence
the pro-independence he thanked an 18-year-old would go against the
parties would once again woman who cast a vote on Spanish Constitution and
get a chance to form a his behalf in a town near he refuses to accept the
regional government, Barcelona. possibility. Ines Arrimadas,
nearly two months after Weeks of campaigning in- leader of the pro-Spanish
Spain dismissed the previ- volved little debate about unity party Ciutadans, said
ous government following Ciutadans (Citizens) party leader Ines Arrimadas casts her vote for regional policy on issues she wanted to end the bit-
a unilateral declaration of the Catalan regional election in Barcelona, Spain, on Thursday, such as public education, ter disputes over indepen-
Dec. 21, 2017. Catalans are choosing new political leaders in a
independence by Catalan highly contested election called by central authorities to quell a widening inequality and dence that have divided
lawmakers. separatist bid in Spain’s northeastern region. unemployment. At the Catalans and caused up-
Catalan voters turned up (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) heart of the battle instead heaval. “We are going to
in force Thursday for a re- dum on independence. independent republic. was the recent indepen- fight very hard for Catalo-
gional election seen as a Opinion polls before the Catalonia’s election board dence push that led to nia to return to normalcy,”
crucial test of strength for vote had predicted a close said that 68.3 percent, or Spain’s worst political crisis Arrimadas told reporters
the powerful movement race between the sepa- 3.75 million of 5.5 million eli- in decades. after casting her vote in
that wants Catalonia to ratist and unionist parties. gible voters, had cast bal- Tensions have been high Barcelona. Across the
split from Spain. Voters chose between par- lots by 6 p.m. (1700 GMT; in Catalonia since the ref- Catalan capital, citizens
The vote was called by the ties who want Catalonia to 12 p.m. EST), more than 5 erendum, when Spanish lined up to cast their votes.
Spanish government in an remain part of Spain and percentage points higher police used rubber bullets Manuel Abella, a 64-year-
attempt to end the political those who want to contin- than in the last regional and batons against voters old retiree, said he voted
crisis that erupted in Octo- ue the push for turning the election in 2015. Surveys in who tried to block them for Ciutadans, which has
ber over a banned referen- northeastern region into an recent weeks had predict- from removing ballots from fared well in polls. Abella
said he didn’t like how the
Greece: Central bank backs post-bailout contingency loan split between separatists
and pro-unity Catalans has

By DEREK GATOPOULO which has promised a ing official comment. tivists that gather regularly become so unpleasant.
Associated Press “clean exit” from the bail- The spat broke as Greece at courts to disrupt the auc- “The problem we have is
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — An- out and a full return to mar- heads into the final year tions. that now people are di-
gering the country’s gov- kets, ending eight painful of the bailout, under pres- About 500 Communist vided, you are either with
ernment, Greece’s central years of rescue programs. sure from lenders to resolve Party supporters took part us or against us,” he said.
bank governor on Thursday Stournaras served as fi- a long list of outstanding in a peaceful demonstra- “I have experienced this in
said he would welcome a nance minister under the problems over the next few tion outside Parliament late my own family. We have
precautionary credit line previous conservative-led months. Thursday against the new arrived at the point that
from bailout lenders after government. Lawmakers late Thursday regulations, a day after we can’t talk politics now.”
the international rescue A government official approved tougher restric- clashes between protesters Sergi Balateu, a 37-year-
program officially ends in Thursday reacted angrily to tions against anti-bailout and police. old marketing director,
August. Stournaras’ suggestion. protesters who have sought The government prom- voted at Barcelona’s Ra-
Bank of Greece governor “Just because a failed fi- to block the auction of ised bailout lenders that it mon Llull school, where less
Yannis Stournaras said in a nance minister from a homes that have gone into will restart auctions, and than three months ago po-
report that a contingency failed government had fa- default because their own- introduce online transac- lice in riot gear used force
credit scheme could have vored a credit line, instead ers can’t meet mortgage tions, to try and reduce to stop him and others vot-
a “supportive effect” on of a return to markets, does payments. the huge number of bad ing in the independence
the Greek economy. not mean that a success- They debated draft legis- loans at Greek banks that referendum. Balateu
His remarks rekindled spat ful government can’t do lation that would impose are hindering the country’s said he voted for Puigde-
between Stournaras and things better,” he said, ask- three and six-month mini- economic recovery from mont’s ticket, Together for
the left-wing government ing not to be named pend- mum jail sentences on ac- recession.q Catalonia.q