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October 27th, 2017 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : Carles Puigdemont, president of Spain’s Catalonia region, said on Thursday that independence from Spain will hang on a decision by the parliament of Catalonia. Puigdemont said he made the decision after failing to secure a promise from Madrid that they would not implement federal control of Catalonia if he called for early elections.
(Archives)
“There are none of the guarantees that justify convening elections today,” Puigdemont said on Thursday. “I tried to obtain the guarantees,” he said, but “I didn’t get a responsible answer from the Spanish government, which has instead used this option to add to the tension.”
Puigdemont forwarded the issue to Catalonia’s regional legislature. “It is now for parliament to decide its answer to the application” of Article 155 of the national constitution, added Puigdemont.
The central government of Spain invoked Article 155 last week. Also described as “the nuclear option” it empowers the federal government to take “necessary methods” if a regional government “doesn’t comply with the obligations of the constitution.”
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had announced a new plan to sack all regional ministers, install its own politicians, and call for new elections. Puigdemont believed the federal government was not assuring Barcelona that “abusive” measures will not be taken. “Consequently I can’t organize parliamentary elections,” he said. “There is no guarantee that justifies elections.”
Handing the decision over the legislature is in line with Puigdemont’s criticisms of the Spanish government not upholding democratic values and avoids claims of unilateral actions by the presidency. “Peace and civility must remain,” Puigdemont said. “Only this way, we will be able to win.”
About 90 percent of the people in Catalonia who participated in the referendum for independence on October 1 voted in favor, reported the Catalan government. The central government in Madrid and opponents of independence stress that voter turnout was no more than 43 percent. Others again stress that the voter turnout had been greater had Madrid’s national police not terrorized voters, stormed polling stations, and disgraced themselves by Francoesque violence.
F/AK – nsnbc 27.10.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/10/27/catalonias-parliament-to-decide-on-independence-carles-puigdemont/
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