Public prosecutor not opposed to suspending electoral board disqualification of Catalan president

Public ministry argues not barring Torra could be "prudent" for "public interests" pending Supreme Court's final resolution on question

Quim Torra speaks during a government act in January 2020 (by Marta Casado Pla)
Quim Torra speaks during a government act in January 2020 (by Marta Casado Pla) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

January 17, 2020 01:13 PM

Spain's public prosecutor announced on Friday that it was not opposed to suspending the electoral board's decision to ban Catalan president Quim Torra from public office as a precautionary measure until the appeal to his disobedience sentence is reviewed by the Supreme Court.

The public ministry argued that it could be "prudent" to not oppose Torra's appeal to have the electoral authority's ruling blocked right away given the "public interests" that could be negatively affected were he to be ousted as Catalonia's president given the "complex" nature of the situation at hand.

On January 3, the electoral board ruled that Torra should lose his MP seat in the Catalan parliament effective immediately following the top Catalan court ruling in December convicting him for disobedience for failing to remove symbols in favor of the jailed pro-independence leaders from public buildings in time during the electoral period in April.

The Catalan president then appealed the electoral board decision to the Supreme Court and asked for the decision to be suspended "immediately," claiming that he could not be ousted by the electoral board as the Catalan court's sentence was not final pending resolution of the matter in the Supreme Court.

Last week the Supreme Court stated that it did not see the need for an immediate suspension and gave the electoral board and the public prosecutor 5 days to present their opinions before deliberating on the question.