Catalan National Assembly vice-president steps down and 13 National Secretariat members resign

The vice-president of the Catalan National Assembly (CNA), Jordi Pesarrodona, has submitted his resignation, with 13 members of the pro-independence group's National Secretariat also deciding to leave their positions. 

The bloc's criticism of the organization's president Dolors Feliu was evident during the Secretariat's meeting on Saturday. 

The resignations came after the rebel group had warned they would do so if Feliu was not subjected to a vote of confidence.  

The mass resignation of the 13 leading figures in the CNA is a consequence of a crisis that erupted when Feliu's supporters proposed standing candidates in the next parliamentary elections. 

Those who resigned today rejected the idea and demanded changes at the top, accusing the leader of authoritarianism. 

While Pesarrodona stepped down as vice-president, he will continue to be a member of the Secretariat, which now has 13 vacancies that the organization will have to fill. 

Internal democracy 

According to an official statement, the Secretariat debated the organization's internal democracy, with "a desire to reconcile positions and resolve disagreements." 

A resolution on the Secretariat's commitment to the CNA's "values of internal democracy and dialogue," to improve relations and its internal functioning was approved with 40 votes in favor, 8 against and 8 blank. 

Feliu not resigning 

On Sunday, the ANC president Dolors Feliu ruled out resigning but acknowledged that a lack of agreement over putting up candidates for elections was one of the triggers that has divided the organization. 

"There is no agreement, and it is an ideological issue at heart," she told Catalunya Ràdio. 

"There are people who only see the pros of the civic list and others who only see the cons. There is also this same discussion in society." 

Feliu also defended the ANC's democratic credentials and management of the current fallout: "The ANC is truly an assembly and sometimes it's hard to accept votes, especially when you lose them." 

There was a reflection, with lots of consensus. Some very pertinent resolutions were passed with large majorities, but it was not enough," to prevent the mass resignations, Feliu explained, labelling them "pre-agreed."