Puigdemont has the backing of his predecessor Artur Mas, who stepped down earlier Saturday. “My candidate to become the next regional president is the Mayor of Girona and president of the association of pro-independence Catalan town mayors, Carles Puigdemont”, he said. “I will not offer myself as candidate for [the pro-independence coalition] Junts pel Si [‘Together for Yes’] for my reelection as president of Catalonia”, Mas told reporters in Barcelona on Saturday.
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After months of tense negotiations between Catalan parties over a leader who could unite the pro-independence movement, Carles Puigdemont, mayor of Girona, replaced Artur Mas as head of a majority separatist Catalan parliament, which will now restart the push for a unilateral split with Spain.
Mas had headed Catalonia’s semi-autonomous government since 2010.
Disagreements between secessionist parties, which gained a majority in September’s regional polls, have blocked the formation of a new Catalan government. “When the new legislature opens next Wednesday, we should reach an agreement amongst us all to form the broadest government possible of the main parties – the People’s Party, the Socialists, and also, logically, (newcomer centrists) Ciudadanos, to, among other things, defend Spain’s unity”.
The CUP in particular refused to back Mas as leader for another term.
“I am stepping aside and will not be standing as a Junts pel Si candidate for the re-election of president of the regional government”, Mr Mas told a news conference in Barcelona.
He added it was “beneficial and appropriate” in order to secure the secessionist “project”. In a swipe at the central government in Madrid, newspaper El Pais quoted him saying he wants to “chase the invaders out of Catalonia”.
A variety of coalition options are now possible, with or without the PP, or a new election could be called.
“New elections would have been the worst option for Catalonia”, said Mas.
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However, Mas said that he will not leave politics and has not left out the possibility of running for the Catalan presidency in the future. Instead, he said he was considering an ambassador-like role, taking the message that an independent Catalonia is a good idea overseas. News storiesdisplayed here appear in our category for global and are licensed via a specific agreement between LongIsland.comand The Associated Press, the world’s oldest and largest news organization. For the protection of AP and its licensors, content may not be copied, altered orredistributed in any form. Doing so may result in civil and/or criminal penalties.
