ERC urge Puigdemont to submit to vote of confidence before Catalonia’s National Day

Barcelona (CNA).- The Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, has repeatedly insisted on his aim to submit himself to a vote of confidence in the second half of September. However, this Monday, left-wing pro-independence ERC have called him to do it earlier and before the 11^th of September, Catalonia’s National Day. “Citizens deserve to celebrate Catalonia’s National Day after the success of the vote of confidence in the Parliament”, stated ERC spokesman and MP in the Spanish Parliament, Joan Tardà. Thus, ERC are convinced that Puigdemont will pass the vote and this “will accelerate the pro-independence process” and also give “optimism and confidence” to the citizens before the 11^th of September celebrations.

The vote of confidence is regarded by ERC as “an opportunity to relaunch the pro-independence process, which will enter its final phase in the upcoming weeks to culminate later with the compromise to proclaim the new state”. Thus, he insisted that “it is fundamental, indispensable and very important to hold this vote of confidence before the 11^th of September”.

According to Tardà, the vote of confidence “must consolidate the process which has already started and has to be a cause of change in order to accelerate it”. Therefore, he refused to comment on the possibility that the vote could include a commitment to hold a unilateral referendum on independence. However, he stated that “it would be good” for ‘Junts Pel Sí’ and CUP “to discuss and include in the vote the [budget] bill for 2016 and all the things that they feel need to be included”.

Puigdemont to keep the schedule

Sources in the Catalan Government have told the CNA that President Puigdemont will keep the scheduled date and expects him to submit to a vote of confidence in the second half of September. The same sources have emphasised that the calendar was agreed on by Puigdemont himself, together with Catalan Vice-President and ERC’s leader, Oriol Junqueras.