Proposal to start building a new Catalan State on standby

Barcelona (CNA).- The agreed declaration on starting the independence process, which was presented on Tuesday by the two main pro-independence forces ‘Junts Pel Sí’and CUP, has been temporarily suspended. The Parliament Bureau took this decision after receiving anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans and the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC)’s petition to stop the proposal. The Catalan People’s Party (PPC) also supported the petition but didn’t present any formal request to stop the pro-independence forces’declaration, as they haven’t constituted themselves as a parliamentary group yet. For the Parliament Bureau to make a definitive decision on the declaration, it is necessary that all the parliamentary groups are constituted. If this is not the case, the Bureau won’t be able to listen to all members of the Spokesperson Board, which is a required procedure in order to make a choice. On the other hand, the Bureau rejected the Ciutadans and PSC petition to analyse whether the pro-independence declaration was legal.

The pro-independence forces’agreed proposal to start building a new Catalan State is now on standby. The Parliament Bureau accepted this Wednesday anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans and Catalan Socialist Party (PSC)’s petition to reconsider the declaration and has temporarily suspended it. The two forces formally opposing the declaration also went further, asking the Bureau to analyse whether the pro-independence proposal was legal. This second petition has been rejected, with the vote going in favour of ‘Junts Pel Sí’and alternative left coalition ‘Catalunya Síque es Pot’.

The PPC haven’t constituted themselves as a parliamentary group

Although the Catalan People’s Party (PPC) supported the petition, they didn’t present any formal request to stop the pro-independence forces’declaration, as they haven’t yet constituted themselves as a parliamentary group. This fact could mean that a definitive decision on how to proceed with the declaration may not meet the expected deadlines. For the Parliament Bureau to make a choice, it is necessary to listen to the Spokesperson Bureau and this body can’t be constituted without the PPC’s representative. Normally, the Spokesperson Bureau should hold a meeting within the next 48 hours, but the PPC’s leader, Xavier García Albiol, has said that there are still some doubts over who will be the party’s spokesperson. Albiol announced that he will made public the final names and charges within the parliamentary group this week, but some have suggested that he may try to use up the deadlines and squeeze the calendar until the 5th of November. 

‘Catalunya Síque es Pot’bids for a referendum

Alternative left coalition ‘Catalunya Síque es Pot’supports a reform which would allow the celebration of a referendum “with guarantees”in Catalonia and without having to reform the Spanish Constitution. To achieve this, the coalition presented a motion through which they urge the Parliament to present a reform of the organic law which regulates the referendums and present it to the Spanish Parliament. “In front of ‘Junts Pel Sí’and CUP’s fireworks, which hide the difficulties in constituting a new government, we bid for a responsible path which would make the right to decide effective”stated ‘Catalunya Síque es Pot’president Lluís Rabell. He defended“an accessible path”which would “empower civil society and which aims to hatch and make worth the alliances we have with the Spanish State”and which he forecast would receive far more support in Spain than the “unilateral proposal”of ‘Junts Pel Sí’and CUP. 

In the event that the reform of the referendum law proposal isn’t accepted by the Spanish Parliament, ‘Catalunya Síque es Pot’s motion foresees “launching new and more forceful processes of social mobilisation”.

Rabell considers the ‘Junts Pel Sí’and CUP declaration “hurried”and admitted that ‘Catalunya Síque es Pot’wants to “have their say”on that issue rather than being “simply spectators”. However, he emphasised that the coalition over which he presides doesn’t back the Ciutadans, PSC and PPC petition.

The calendar from now on

According to pro-independence forces ‘Junts Pel Sí’and CUP’s roadmap, the agreed proposal presented on Tuesday should have been approved as a matter of urgency and before the President is instated, which is set for the 9th of November. However, if the PPC postpones its constitution as a parliamentary group until the 5th of November, the Spokesperson Board would have to meet later in the week. Then, the Parliament’s Bureau would have to meet and listen to this Board to decide whether to pass the proposal and, presumably, a period for appeals to the text would be opened soon thereafter. Therefore, it would take longer to make a final choice and would most likely be difficult to meet the deadlines and finally pass the proposal before the President is instated.