Alternative consultation vote on independence to also take place on November 9 fades away

Barcelona (ACN).- Both the Catalan Government and the main pro-independence civil society organisation ANC are rejecting the possibility of organising an alternative self-determination vote on the 9^thof November if the official one, which has already been called, cannot take place. Furthermore, the ANC's President, CarmeForcadell, would back the organisation of early plebiscitary elections if the Spanish authorities were to totally block the current self-determination consultation vote and therefore were to impede a process with full democratic guarantees, as reported by Bloomberg on Wednesday. Besides, on the same day, the Spokesperson for the Catalan Government and Minister for the Presidency, Francesc Homs, has denied that it is considering organising an alternative consultation vote on the 9^thof November if the current call cannot not take place. Their denial comes after press speculations pointing in this direction, published in the last few hours.

The ANC would back plebiscitary elections to the Catalan Parliament if November 9's vote cannot take place

In an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday, the President of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Carme Forcadell, stated that “if the consultation isn’t possible because the Spanish government blocks it, we will go to elections”. The ANC is a grass-roots association that co-organised the massive pro-independence peaceful demonstrations that took place in 2012, 2013 and 2014, gathering more than 1.5 million people each. In this scenario, Forcadell said that this civil society organisation would "support a joint candidacy from the political parties" that support independence from Spain. Bloomberg interpreted Forcadell's words as "a way forward" for the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, "as he tries to satisfy voters demanding a say in their constitutional future without provoking a legal backlash from the authorities in Madrid". Forcadell said that they "are supporting the Catalan government because apart from the legitimacy of the law, they have the legitimacy of democracy", since the current self-determination process respects Catalonia's legislation, which has been temporarily suspended by the Constitutional Court but has not been declared illegal. In addition, the ANC leader was sorry that "the Spanish state is using the Constitutional Court and all possible legal tools to block democracy".

The Catalan Government denies considering an alternative vote on November 9

The Catalan Minister for the Presidency stated that they are "focused" on carrying out the self-determination consultation vote on the 9^th of November "in the terms already known". Francesc Homs denied the speculation published on Wednesday by a few newspapers, which suggested that the Catalan Government would prepare an alternative vote on that same day together with municipalities and civil society if the official one could not take place. Homs said he was "surprised" by these reports and added that they are not based on anything specific. "They are speculations" and he denied that the Government is in fact working on such an alternative vote.