ANC wants 27-S pro-independence lists to have "a common brand"

Barcelona (ACN) – The Catalan National Assembly (ANC) has defined a proposal on how parties should collaborate for the 27-S elections. The ANC wants to present as few pro-independence lists as possible, opening the door so that they can be formed and led, if necessary, by people from civil society. It also proposed that these lists be identifiable by a "common brand" and have a shared electoral programme and joint campaign events. Finally, the ANC wants a clear commitment on the governability of Catalonia after the 27-S. According to the organisation, voting "yes" to the internal consultation on 3 and 4 July endorses this proposal and signifies unity of action.

After announcing on Saturday that they would have an internal consultation, on Monday the ANC defined what it means to vote "yes" to the question: "Do you want the ANC to seek the necessary involvement with other organisations and political parties to promote a proposed election with the highest level of cross-party collaboration, guaranteeing the plebiscitary character of the 27-S that would bring Catalan independence?"

According to the ANC website, voting "yes" signifies agreement with the principles that should govern the unity of action. Some of these principles are based on the 27-S presenting the "smallest number possible of lists representing wide support for independence, boosting their electoral strengths without interfering with each other and, if necessary, formed and led by people from civil society".

The second condition for unity of action is that these lists can be identified by a "common and unequivocal brand" that allows them to add themselves as a "yes" to independence and have a "shared electoral programme", with common points that reflect the agreement of the various candidates about their commitment to independence and the elections' plebiscitary sentiment.

The proposal also establishes that the yes election campaign have "shared and joint events" in order to "strengthen" issues that unite them over those that separate the concurrent pro-independence lists. Finally, the ANC also demands a "clear" commitment toward the governability of Catalonia and the continuation of the constitutional process toward independence after the 27-S elections.    

This is the ANC's electoral proposal to parties favouring independence after holding talks with Òmnium Cultural, the Municipal Association for Independence (AMI), Catalan President Artur Mas and with the parties CDC, ERC and CUP. According to the ANC, a "no" vote in the internal consultation would mean that members think that the ANC should limit itself to guiding action in the summer campaign and the organisation of the Diada – the Catalan national holiday on 11 September – to get a majority of votes in favour of independence.

Mas' original proposal was to have a single, unitary list combining political parties as well as civil society organisations in order to keep the self-determination movement as cohesive as possible. Parties such as the Left-Wing Pro-Independence ERC rejected the idea of a unitary list, arguing that voters should have the right to choose between right-wing and left-wing pro-independence options. Then Mas asked the civil society organisations to lead the list, even if that meant the non-involvement of the political parties. The ANC, the main civil society organisation, is now proposing an option that would be halfway between what Mas and the leader of the opposition, Oriol Junqueras, were asking for: different lists, as proposed by ERC, but with civil society members in each of them, thus partly satisfying Mas’ petition, and with a common goal and brand stating that they are pro-independence.