Catalan President: In Exceptional Situations, Exceptional Decisions are Required

• 08.04.2015, 17:15
•  Europe,  World

Catalan regional government President Artur Mas has officially called for early parliamentary elections on September 27, a poll he intends to use as a referendum on independence from Spain.

Mas signed the election bill late this Monday saying Spain's decision not to allow the region hold an independence referendum left Catalonia with no choice but to call elections and use them as a test of public opinion, The Daily Mail reports.

In the framework of the forthcoming elections, Mas asked all parties to present ''their proposals for this country’s future''. The Catalan President asked everybody ''to respect the results'' and stressed his ''commitment to implementing the democratic mandate'' resulting from the elections. ''All proposals, if they respect human rights, are legitimate in democracy'', he highlighted. Finally, Mas underlined that Catalonia is ''a nation with a thousand years'' of history and that it ''has the right to decide on its future'', as ''a nation of free people'', stressing also that ''plurality and respect for each other’s opinions are virtues'' that have to prevail above all in order to build ''a future shaped on democracy''.

"Politically they will not be normal elections, politically they are a plebiscite on Catalan freedom and sovereignty," Mas told, Catalan News Agency writes. He also added that if an alliance of pro-secession parties wins a majority, they will aim to split from Spain within 18 months.

The matter is that Catalan pro-independence parties set aside their differences and agreed to run on a joint ticket in the regional polls. The joint list, called "Together for Yes", includes the ruling Convergence party, the region's second party, the Republican Left of Catalonia and associations which have organized massive pro-independence demonstrations in the region.

Spain's central government has vowed to oppose Catalonia's moves. "There will be no independence for Catalonia," Rajoy told at news conference on Friday, The Local's Spanish version tells.

During his recent visit to Catalonia's capital Barcelona, King Felipe of Spain warned Catalan leaders that "respect for the law is the source of legitimacy and an unavoidable requirement for living together democratically in peace and freedom".

Catalonia is one of the wealthiest regions in Spain, situated in the North – Eastern part of the country, and is a home to 7.5 million people accounting for a fifth of Spain's output.

According to 2014's November symbolic referendum which was considered as an illegal one by the central government of Madrid, a great majority of Catalan people, nearly 80% of them voted for getting an independence from Spain. This is a huge number indeed, and Artur Mass' chances are really high now to achieve the long desired independence in his region with the help of this last but not least method.

''Calling Catalan Parliament elections is the only way left, after the Spanish Government’s unilateral blocking," declared Mass in this respect, ''In exceptional situations, exceptional decisions are required.''