CUP urges ‘Junts Pel Sí’ to propose an alternative candidate to Mas

Barcelona (CNA).- The results of the 20-D Spanish Elections and the victory of alternative left coalition En Comú Podem in Catalonia have influenced the negotiations between pro-independence forces radical left CUP and cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ over constituting a new Catalan government. According to CUP, En Comú Podem’s victory and the good result of left wing ERC show that Catalonia is turning to the left. The party therefore urged ‘Junts Pel Sí’ to propose “an alternative presidency” to current Catalan President Artur Mas “which could generate a greater consensus” and have “more possibility” of being accepted by the CUP rank-and-file at their upcoming general assembly, on the 27^th of December. CUP has also insisted on the need to improve “the social action plan” proposed by ‘Junts Pel Sí’ and emphasised that “pro-independence and social change have to go hand-in-hand”. CUP has also invited En Comú Podem and their partners in the Catalan Parliament, Catalunya Sí que es Pot, to join the “constitutive process of the Catalan Republic”.

In a communiqué, CUP highlighted “the good results” of the left-wing forces in Catalonia, where En Comú Podem obtained nearly 25% of the vote and almost 16% went to ERC. CUP read these results as confirmation of a new political scenario in Catalonia and a sign that “pro-independence supporters are turning to the left”, as ERC obtained more votes than Democràcia i Llibertat, the coalition constituted by liberal party CDC, the party of current President Artur Mas.

Therefore, they urged ‘Junts Pel Sí’ to propose an alternative candidate to Mas, whom they have repeatedly stated they won’t instate as the new Catalan President, to correspondent to this new panorama. According to CUP, an alternative candidate “which could generate a greater consensus” would have “more possibility” of being accepted by the CUP rank-and-file at their upcoming general assembly, on the 27^th of December.

The urgency of social change

CUP also emphasised that the social measures proposed by ‘Junts Pel Sí’, over which the two pro-independence forces have spent the last week negotiating, should be improved.“Pro-independence and social change have to go hand-in-hand” stated CUP “and only through this will new political and social agents join the breakaway and constitutive processes”, they added.

Invitation to En Comú Podem to join the pro-independence process

CUP also invited En Comú Podem and their partners in the Catalan Parliament, Catalunya Sí que es Pot, to join the “constitutive process of the Catalan Republic”. They emphasised these two parties’ support for Catalonia’s right to decide and their commitment to the celebration of a binding referendum in Catalonia. However, CUP also emphasised that “the forces of the regime” still have a great influence in the Spanish Parliament, referring to the People’s Party, PP, and the Spanish Socialist Party, PSOE. “The only way to make the construction of the Catalan Republic irreversible is through unilateralism”.

CDC considers CUP’s position “not very logical”

“At this stage, nothing from CUP would surprise me” stated CDC general coordinator, Josep Rull, referring to their pro-independence partner’s communiqué. In a radio interview with Catalan radio station RAC1, Rull commented that it is “not very logical” that CUP initially called for abstention in the Spanish Elections but now say the results and the new political scenario “condition” their position. According to Rull, CUP is now setting a debate with a “Spanish mind-set”.