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A8 WORLD NEWS
Wednesday 22 March 2017

Sturgeon urges Scottish parliament to back referendum call

referendum that was billed ing referendum, and May
as a once-in-a-generation says she will not agree
vote. But Sturgeon says to Sturgeon’s timescale
Brexit has changed the situ- though she has not ruled
ation dramatically. out a later independence
She said “staying in the U.K. vote.
hasn’t safeguarded Scot- The Scottish parliament is
land’s place in Europe, it due to vote Wednesday on
has jeopardized it.” whether to back Sturgeon’s
Britons voted narrowly in referendum call. The op-
June to leave the EU, but position Conservative and
voters in Scotland backed Labour parties oppose a
staying in by a margin of 62 new independence poll,
to 38 percent. but the Greens say they will
Sturgeon said that with support Sturgeon’s Scot-
Brexit looming, the question tish National Party, which
is “what kind of change is should be enough for the
right for Scotland, and measure to pass.
should that be decided for “The people of Scotland do
us or by us?” not want another divisive
British Prime Minister The- referendum,” said Scottish
resa May plans to trigger Labour leader Kezia Dug-
the two-year EU exit period dale.
on March 29. Sturgeon says Scottish Conservative lead-
First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon speaks in the chamber at the Scottish Parliament in there should be a referen- er Ruth Davidson accused
Edinburgh, Scotland, Tuesday March 21, 2017. Nicola Sturgeon is asking parliament to back her
demand for a referendum on independence within two years. dum between fall 2018 and Sturgeon of trying to force
(Jane Barlow/PA via AP) spring 2019, when details of through a referendum, call-
Britain’s divorce terms with ing it “a tin-pot approach
LONDON (AP) First Minister parliament on Tuesday to dence within two years. the bloc are clear. to the biggest decision we
Nicola Sturgeon asked the back her demand for a Scottish voters rejected The British government has could ever be asked to
Edinburgh-based Scottish referendum on indepen- independence in a 2014 to approve a legally bind- make.”q
EU to hold Brexit summit for 27 members on April 29

RAF CASERT low. EU Council President by March 2019. al between Britain, the nounced Monday it will for-
Associated Press Donald Tusk said Tuesday Beyond Tusk, other EU na- world’s No. 5 economy, mally trigger negotiations
BRUSSELS (AP) — Once that the aim will be to “do tions are also increasingly and the EU, a vast single to exit the EU on March 29.
Britain decides to trigger everything we can to make starting to think about how market of 500 million peo- That is expected to create
divorce proceedings next the process of divorce the to protect EU interests in the ple. If both sides agree, the two years’ uncertainty for
week, the 27 other Europe- least painful for the EU,” face of the British rupture. negotiating deadline can all sides because no mem-
an Union nations will be tak- Tusk said. “It cannot be like it was be- be extended. ber state has ever walked
ing a month to decide on Once the summit is over, fore, otherwise it would be Tusk said Tuesday that away from the bloc.
the negotiating framework it might take another few a waste of time to have a “Brexit guidelines” will aim The EU insists Britain needs
to achieve the best-possi- weeks for legal and insti- Brexit. There will be con- to give citizens, compa- to fully disentangle itself
ble split-up for the bloc. tutional processes before sequences,” said French nies and all member states from the bloc before nego-
They will hold a special the negotiations can start finance minister Michel “certainty and clarity” on tiating new relations, while
Brexit summit on April 29 in earnest, perhaps in the Sapin. how the talks will go. London hopes the two can
to draw up guidelines for middle of May. The talks It promises to be a legal Britain — which is exclud- go hand in hand to speed
the negotiations to fol- themselves should be over and political battle roy- ed from the summit — an- up proceedings.q