ANC urges pro-independence forces to reach an agreement by the 27th of November

Barcelona (CNA).- Pro-independence cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí' and radical left CUP should reach an agreement by the 27^th of November. This is what the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), the civil society association responsible for the last years’ massive pro-independence rallies in Catalonia, stated in its document "Let's do the Catalan Republic". An agreement "without exclusions, with the conviction that nobody is extra in this process of national transition, on the contrary, we must add new adhesions" stated this Monday the ANC's president, Jordi Sànchez. So far it has been "conviction" amongst the actors, now it is time for "showing responsibility", he added. Sànchez emphasised that what Catalonia needs after the 27-S mandate is "a strong government" and warned of the "risk of erosion of the 72 pro-independence MPs" and the disappointment of the citizens if they aren't able to reach a "good and quick" agreement.

The document specifies that such an agreement has to be "based on all the sensibilities of the pro-independence spectrum and use all the existing assets" in order to lead the citizens to "the Catalan Republic".

"So far there has been conviction" amongst the actors of the pro-independence process "now it is time for them to show their responsibility" stated the ANC's President, Jordi Sànchez, during the reading of the document this Monday. Referring to the negotiations between 'Junts Pel Sí' and CUP, Sánchez addressed the 72 pro-independence MPs and appealed to their "responsibility, courage, strength and ability to dialogue" in order to reach "the best agreement to create a strong and united government as soon as possible".

The document calls for "commitment, coherence and responsibility". Commitment with the citizens which "expressed themselves through the ballot boxes", coherence in order to "avoid that the independence declaration approved by the Parliament could end up as a simple mirage" and responsibility "to assume that everybody would be responsible for the success of the process, which requires a strong government, parliamentarian unity and a big sense of state in order to achieve our common goal".

Sànchez also referred to the mobilisation scheduled for last Sunday in order to ask the pro-independence forces to reach an agreement but which was in the end postponed due to the terrorist attacks that occurred in Paris. Sànchez denied that the ANC's aim was to press left-radical CUP. "Those who saw this intention, misunderstood it" he stated, "our aim is to press all the 72 pro-independence MPs".

The ANC's president assured that he doesn't consider it a possibility to call new elections "as do none of the actors". He believes that this won't be the solution and that citizens won't understand such a decision. Following this, he admitted that many people feel "disorientated" with the impossibility that pro-independence forces in the Parliament haven't come to terms yet and the uncertainty surrounding when the new government will be established. In this sense, Sànchez also pointed out that if there is not a "good and quick" agreement, the "risk of erosion of the 72 pro-independence MPs will be higher".

Left wing ERC, the arbitrator between CUP and CDC

Left wing ERC appealed to "the calm, prudency, pragmatism and generosity" of radical left CUP and current President Artur Mas' liberal party CDC, to which belong most of the members of the 'Junts Pel Sí' cross-party list. ERC admitted to being "annoyed" by the "exchange of accusations" between CUP and CDC, whose positions are "the furthest" and pointed out the difficulty of the negotiations as they are on "creating a new country, rather than establishing an autonomic government". ERC member Gabriel Rufián repeated that 'Junts Pel Sí's one and only candidate for Catalan President is Artur Mas but also pointed out that those who blame CUP for opposing his investiture "are being unjust" as "CUP has shown a big sense of state during the whole process". "We all need each other" stated ERC member Joan Tardà. "It is impossible that they won't reach an agreement" he said and added that if this is the case "it would be a betrayal of the people's will"

Catalan Finance Minister: CUP's conditions are unacceptable

Current Catalan Finance Minister, Andreu Mas-Colell, refused CUP's conditions for supporting Mas' candidacy as President. In an interview with Catalan newspaper 'Ara', Mas-Colell accused Mas of "parliamentary immaturity" and pointed out that "the normal procedure" would have been for 2 of the 10 CUP MPs to support Mas in the second phase of the investiture debate "without major conditions". According to Mas-Colell, CUP's aim is to "finish with Mas' leadership" and change 'Junts Pel Sí's programme to impose their "inclinations and priorities" on the upcoming government. If this happens, "the support of the middle-classes would be eroded".

For his part, CDC member and former vice-president of the government Francesc Homs has accused CUP of "suspending" the agreed pro-independence declaration approved by the Parliament by blocking Mas' investiture two hours later. Homs also pointed to CUP's Eurosceptic position as a negative point as regards attempting to reach an agreement and to the way Catalonia's process is regarded internationally. 

CUP: The design of the government is as important as the name of its President

CUP leader Antonio Baños assured that not paying enough attention to the new government's composition "would be as harmful as prolonging it". In an article published in Catalan newspaper 'El Món' Baños admitted that "a new government is needed" and "is needed soon" but emphasised the importance of "what this government would be". "Defining the use, the form, the architecture of the government and the republican institutions" should be "as important as" who will be leading it.