National Alliance for Self-Determination to work on making alternative consultation vote on November 9's a success

Barcelona (ACN).- On Friday, Catalonia's National Alliance for Self-Determination, which brings together more than 3,000 civil society, business and political organisations, pledged to make sure that the alternative participatory process scheduled on the 9^th of November will be a success, in terms of cast ballots and of other "great mobilisations". A few members of the National Alliance and particularly the trade unions CCOO and UGT had requested a meeting to analyse the current situation after some two weeks of tensions among parties supporting the self-determination process because the Catalan Government decided to replace the original consultation vote – which was temporarily suspended by the Constitutional Court – with an alternative participatory process scheduled on the same day. Despite acknowledging the limitations of this alternative vote, the National Alliance has agreed to focus its collective efforts on this day's success, in order to allow Catalans to cast their non-binding vote on independence from Spain. In addition, they also back "other forms of mobilisation that will strengthen citizen participation" in the self-determination process, as some left-wing parties are preparing other mobilisations besides the vote itself. Furthermore, the Alliance Coordinator, the veteran Christian-Democrat politician Joan Rigol, stressed that political parties will also focus on this day, meaning that they will put aside the debate around early Catalan Parliament elections for a few days. In addition, Rigol stated that parties will increase "coordination" to overcome recent tensions among them, although political plurality will be respected as "unity does not mean uniformity".

All the associations and organisations within the National Alliance for Self-Determination have approved a resolution by which they all commit to promote "participation and mobilisation" on the 9^th of November and in the alternative consultation vote scheduled on that day, which replaces the original one, banned by Spanish authorities. This platform gathers together more than 3,000 associations that represent a large part of Catalonia's society, ranging from all the existing chambers of commerce to the main social NGOs, including most of the employers' associations, main trade unions, significant cultural organisations, sports associations such as FC Barcelona, political parties supporting self-determination, etc. Such organisations back Catalans' right to vote on their own collective future, regardless whether they would vote for independence or against it.

The text approved emphasises the "political pluralism" of the associations and organisations included in the National Alliance. They insisted on the need to preserve such political pluralism while coordinating their efforts with civil society, as "as the only way to decide a collective future is through participating and voting". Furthermore, the Alliance emphasised "the need to exercise the right to self-determination in order to face the real problems of citizens in economic and social matters, and in the defence of the Welfare State".

A new meeting in the next few weeks

The National Alliance will meet again after November 9 to discuss the next steps to take. Rigol explained that it could meet earlier if the Spanish Government were also appealing November 9's alternative consultation vote, but he admitted that such a decision had not been made by the Alliance yet.