Pro-independence forces present their agreed proposal for CUP assembly to validate

Barcelona (CNA).- Pro-independence cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí' presented this Tuesday a 63-page proposal to start building the Catalan Republic and establish the legality of this constitutive process. “We are continuing with our democratic commitment” stated 'Junts Pel Sí's top member Raúl Romeva, who highlighted that they are following the “citizens’ mandate expressed in the 27-S elections”.  The document, presented after three months of negotiations between 'Junts Pel Sí' and radical left CUP will have to be validated by CUP’s base at its General Assembly. Regarding CUP’s veto against current Catalan President Artur Mas, who is 'Junts Pel Sí's only candidate, Romeva emphasised that they “will instate a presidency rather than a president” and recalled their proposal of “a collegiate presidency composed by a President of the government and three government commissions”. Following this, and contrary to CUP statements, Romeva assured that the results of the Spanish Elections “won’t change” the pro-independence roadmap nor the cross-party's candidate. 

Transition to the Catalan Republic

“The transition to the Catalan Republic has to be done with all the legal guarantees” stated Romeva at a 'Junts Pel Sí' press conference, “our priority is to create the legal frames required to make this transition possible and provide a new legality which will allow us to do what now is illegal”. Romeva stated that the calendar to start building a new country is the same: instate a new President before the 10^th of January and 18 months afterwards hold constitutive elections. “This process started at the ballot boxes and that is where it will end.”

Social Action Plan

The document includes the agreed 20 social measures which will focus on three areas. “The minimum wage of social inclusion, the health system and the fulfilling of the Dependency Law” stated Romeva. Some of these measures are set to be launched within a budgetary extension, but in order to launch “the most urgent” measures the document establishes an amount of 270 million euros.

“Presidency, rather than President”

One of the main pitfalls during the negotiations between the pro-independence forces has been the disagreement on who will be President of the new Catalan government. While 'Junts Pel Sí' have insisted that Mas is their only candidate, CUP have repeatedly reinforced their veto. In relation to this, right after the Spanish Elections, the radical left party stated that alternative left 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.

Although Romeva agreed on the need to “enhance the social base of the pro-independence movement” he insisted that they are “following the 27-S Catalan Elections’ mandate” and assured that the results of the Spanish Elections “won’t change” the pro-independence roadmap. Therefore, 'Junts Pel Sí’s proposal still has Mas as the main candidate, although he would be joined by three government commissions. “We will instate a presidency rather than a president” emphasised Romeva, who insisted on their bid for “acollegiate presidency composed by a President of the government and three government commissions”. “We are doing something ad hoc according to the current circumstances” he concluded.

CUP: “The document is Junts Pel Si´s proposal, not ours”

At a press conference held after 'Junts Pel Sí' presented the proposal, CUP’s spokesman Albert Bortran wanted to emphasise that the document “is not an agreed proposal between both parties but 'Junts Pel Si's proposal”. Although most of the measures included in the document are shared by both parties and appear in their programmes as core principles, the document “is 'Junts Pel Sí's response to our principles” explained CUP MP Benet Salellas. Therefore, the radical left party won’t necessarily defend the proposal before their rank-and-file at the General Assembly. “It’s not our proposal, it is not for us to defend” insisted Salellas.

“If this is the last 'Junts Pel Sí' proposal and it is not accepted by our members, then it would mean that there is no agreement”, admitted Botran.