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News > World

Catalonia Calls Off Independence Vote

Published 14 October 2014
Opinion

Rajoy claims victory, as an official poll is preventing, whilst Catalan leader Arturo Mas vows to carry out an “alternative” vote.

The Catalan government has cancelled the referendum on regional independence from the spanish state, planned for November 9.

Last month, the central Spanish government asked the constitutional court to declare the referendum illegal. While the court hears the case, a process that could take years, the vote is automatically suspended.

The Spanish president Mariano Rajoy was extremely pleased with the “excellent news,” which may ease mounting pressures from the north-eastern region.

“This is the most important news of the yesterday,” Rajoy said on Tuesday, “extraordinary news if confirmed.”

He thanked the constitutional court and stated, “no one is above the law.”

However, Catalan officials have denied that the referendum has been totally thrown out, with Catalan President Artur Mas vowing to organize an alternative vote with “volunteers, locals, ballot boxes and papers.”

“The attitude of the (Catalan) Government is not one of a retreat, is not that as we do not have the same agreement there will not be a referendum,” to the contrary, “The Government has decided to do the referendum, and do it on November 9th,” Mas said, speaking in a press conference on Tuesday.

The Catalan president affirmed that the “alternative” vote will go ahead with the same agreed question, run by more than 20,000 volunteers, with legitimate ballot boxes and papers.

Due to the decision of the constitutional court, the latest vote will technically be illegal, and will not be recognised by the Spanish government.

Since the vote on Scottish independence in September, the Catalan separatist cause has continued with renewed vigor and has been gaining support, with multiple, mostly peaceful, demonstrations and sit-ins held around the region, demanding a referendum.

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