Esquerra Republicana registers second candidacy in case it is illegalized

‘Diàleg Republicà’ is Junqueras’ backup plan after recent People’s Party calls to ban pro-independence manifestos

 

The Catalan vice president, Oriol Junqueras, before appearing on court (by Rafa Garrido)
The Catalan vice president, Oriol Junqueras, before appearing on court (by Rafa Garrido) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

November 20, 2017 01:35 PM

Esquerra Republicana is expected to win the December 21 elections, as the latest polls suggest. Yet one thing might prevent the party of the jailed Catalan vice president, Oriol Junqueras, from prevailing in the vote: its illegalization. There is no formal process to illegalize any pro-independence party, but some of Spain’s ruling People’s Party officials have hinted toward this possibility. Just in case it does happen, Esquerra has created a backup plan, according to the Catalan newspaper Ara, by registering a second candidacy.  

‘Diàleg Republicà’ looked to be just one more minor ticket with unknown candidates and no real chance to get seats in Parliament. Yet according to Ara, it is Esquerra’s backup plan. The party has neither confirmed nor denied the information. However, the top candidates of ‘Diàleg Republicà’ in all constituencies are Esquerra members.

‘We have to think to what extent we have to restrict the separatist projects’

This candidacy would only be active in case Junqueras’ party is made illegal. In this event, the party would ask its supporters to vote for ‘Diàleg Republicà’. The Spanish Justice minister, Rafael Catalá, said earlier this month that the government is not working on any type illegalization of pro-independence Catalan parties. Yet last month on October 17, a People’s Party (PP) spokesman, Pablo Casado, did not rule it out as a possibility. “Independence is not positive and we have to think to what extent we have to restrict the separatist and ruinous projects for our nation and for our regions,” he said.

The leader of the Catalan branch of PP, Xavier García Albiol, and the Spanish government representative in Catalonia, Enric Millo,  also put on the table last month the possibility of banning pro-independence manifestos for being “outside the Spanish law.”