BARCELONA, Spain – Spain has ordered an investigation against the head of its autonomous Catalonia region for calling a 2014 referendum, further fuelling an intensifying independence row.
Two days after local elections in Catalonia gave new wings to Catalan demands for secession from Spain, Madrid announced it was starting proceedings against acting President Artur Mas.
On Tuesday, Mas and two other party officials were called by the Catalan Supreme Court to testify, after the prosecution accused the three of crimes of disobedience and other charges related to organizing the non-binding referendum on independence last November.
That poll was ruled unconstitutional. Mas is due to appear in court for questioning on October 15.
On Sunday, Mas’ Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) coalition won 62 of the 135 seats in parliament. The result, which was six seats short of a majority, did not prevent Mas from declaring that the coalition will seek independence.
Catalonia, a region of 7.5 million people, does not have the constitutional power to hold elections for independence.
Madrid’s move against Mas triggered a wave of support by leftist parties that are unsympathetic to his center-right movement, but oppose the interference by Madrid.
Catalan politician Oriol Junqueras from the ERC party, which is part of the coalition, said Tuesday that the indictment of Mas “is the best demonstration” that Catalonia has to seek independence. “To be part of Spain is unfeasible,” he declared.
Although local parliamentary elections for the region are a legitimate right under the Spanish Constitution, the region has no legal right to separate from Spain. Sunday´s elections were a disguised referendum whose aim was to seek a mandate to start the process to separate from Spain.
The government in Madrid has responded harshly to any such consideration.
“As long as I am the president of the Government I am not going to talk about the unity of Spain, nor about national sovereignty or the equality of the Spaniards,” Spanish President Mariano Rajoy said Monday.
The parties in favor of independence obtained 47.8 percent of the votes in Sunday’s polls. The turnout of 78 percent was also regarded as an important indicator of the Catalan mood.
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