Parliament votes to substitute MPs but rejects their suspension

The Catalan parliament has voted to reject a resolution from Spain’s Supreme Court ordering the suspension of former president Carles Puigdemont and other members of parliament accused of rebellion.

In the first plenary session since the summer break, pro-independence parties put forward a motion against the suspension of the six prosecuted MPs, and will designate some party colleagues to vote on their behalf.

The motion was approved with the votes of Junts Per Catalunya (JxCat) and Esquerra (ERC), the two pro-independence parties ruling Catalonia, as well as Catalunya En Comú-Podem (CatECP), a left-wing coalition that is neither for nor against independence.

Support from CatECP will grant the two government parties enough votes to pass the resolution—even while CUP, a far-left pro-independence party, is against substituting the prosecuted MPs.

Unionists reject the proposal

Unionists parties rejected the proposal, arguing that the Catalan parliament is not entitled to decide whether to implement court orders or not. 

On the other side, pro-independence parties and CatECP argued that the parliament regulation states that the chamber is the one to decide on the suspension of its members.

Unionist parties also criticized the fact that the parliament speaker, Roger Torrent, allowed both sections of the motion to be voted separately, as they considered them to be "contradictory".

While pro-independence parties stressed that the vote was in defense of the prosecuted MPs rights, Marta Ribas, an MP for CatECP, described the vote as "symbolical".

MPs accused of rebellion

Puigdemont and five other MPs are accused of violent rebellion for organizing a referendum on independence on October 1 last year despite Spain's opposition.

The former president left the country to avoid prosecution and is currently living in Belgium, while vice president Oriol Junqueras and other ministers stayed and are currently being held behind bars.

Rift between pro-independence parties

While ERC has announced that it will substitute Oriol Junqueras and Raül Romeva, the two MPs and former ministers that are held behind bars, Junts per Catalunya has ruled out appointing new MPs.