Another historic 9-N to start building a new country

Coinciding with the 1st anniversary of the 9-N symbolic vote on independence, the new Catalan Parliament which has emerged after the 27-S elections will hold one of its most important sessions. Using up all the deadlines, the chamber will have to hold this Monday the first round to elect the new Catalan President and the only candidate presented so far is the current President, Artur Mas. Mas was number four in pro-independence cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’and has always been the winning party’s one and only candidate for President. However, the other pro-independence force in the Parliament, radical left CUP, has repeatedly insisted that they won’t instate Mas as President. Without the support of CUP’s 10 MPs, Mas won’t be elected, at least not in the first round. The election of the new President won’t be the only decisive point on the Parliament’s agenda this Monday. Earlier in the day, the chamber will have to vote on the agreed pro-independence proposal presented by ‘Junts Pel Sí’and CUP. The declaration sets out the key points and the schedule to commence “the disconnection process”from Spain and start building a new independent state.

 

The new Catalan Parliament applauding its President, Carme Forcadell's first speech (by ACN)
The new Catalan Parliament applauding its President, Carme Forcadell's first speech (by ACN) / ACN / Sara Prim

ACN / Sara Prim

November 9, 2015 02:02 AM

Barcelona (CNA).- One year after the 9-N symbolic vote on independence, the new Catalan Parliament which has emerged after the 27-S elections will face one of its most important sessions. At 10 am this Monday, the chamber will have to vote on the agreed pro-independence proposal presented by cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’and CUP. The declaration sets out the key points and the schedule to commence “the disconnection process”from Spain and start building a new independent state. The approval of the pro-independence roadmap is apparently guaranteed, as it can count on the support of its promoters, the 62 MPs from ‘Junts Pel Sï’and the 10 from CUP, which together make up 72 of the 135 seats in the Parliament. In the evening, the first round to elect the new Catalan President will take place. Current President Artur Mas is the ‘Junts Pel Sí’candidate and the only one presented for election so far. However, the other pro-independence force in the Parliament, CUP, has repeatedly insisted that they won’t instate Mas as President. 

 


As specified in the pro-independence declaration, the text will be voted on “in an extraordinary plenary session”that will in fact be held “before the new president is instated”. 

The approval of the pro-independence proposal will imply the annulment of Spanish Constitutional Court resolutions. “The process of democratic disconnection won’t be subject to Spanish institutions’ decisions, particularly those from the Spanish Constitutional Court, which is regarded as discredited and without competences” states the declaration’s text, which also urges the new government to “obey exclusively those mandates produced” by the Parliament. In addition, the document states the intention to start within a maximum of 30 days the processing of the laws for the constituent process, social security and the creation of a Catalan public tax office.

The declaration also states the “will to start the negotiations in order to make the democratic mandate of creating a new independent Catalan State effective”and that this will therefore be communicated to the Spanish State, the EU and the international community as a whole.