Junts rejects abstaining on Socialist PM bid vote: 'yes' or snap election

Catalan pro-independence party Junts has rejected abstaining from voting during a potential Socialist prime ministerial bid and confirmed their intention to vote 'yes' or 'no,' which could end in a Spanish snap election. 

Sources of the negotiating team confirmed to the Catalan News Agency (ACN) their plan, which has already been shared with the Socialists. The decision to either vote 'yes' or 'no' could block the move made by the regional party of the Canary Islands, Coalición Canaria, who said they would be willing to back Pedro Sánchez's bid to avoid giving all the credit to the pro-independence party. 

"Mr [former Catalan president] Carles Puigdemont should not be the director of the new Spain," Fernando Clavijo, Canary Islands president and leader of Coalición Canaria, said on Thursday morning. 

"Coalición Canaria is in a position to make [Junts] a supporting actor. A vote in favor would leave Junts out of the main picture," he added. 

If Coalición Canaria votes in favor, the seven MPs of Junts would not be required to vote 'yes' for Spanish acting PM Pedro Sánchez to revalidate his position. MPs would only need to abstain, and the bid would go ahead. 

However, if they do vote against it and the PM bid falls, and there is no more time to call for another vote before November 27, a snap election will automatically be called for January 14. 

This would only be plausible if Sánchez gets left-wing coalition Sumar, pro-independence Esquerra Republicana, regional parties EH Bildu, PNB, and BNG to vote in favor, and only People's Party, far-right Vox, and regional party UPN voting against. 

In this case, the Socialists would have 172 votes in favor, 171 against, and 7 abstentions, meaning that Sánchez would have a simple majority with more 'aye' than 'nay'.

One of the requests of the Catalan pro-independence parties Junts and Esquerra Republicana as a prerequisite to start talks on backing a potential prime ministerial bid was to set the conditions for a referendum and an amnesty. The Socialist candidate has already said the party will only take a position after finishing all post-election talks.