Spain warns it’s ‘impossible’ to swear in jailed MP Jordi Turull

The Spanish government said on Saturday that it is "impossible" to swear in jailed MP Jordi Turull as the new Catalan president, warning that the parliamentary session that for the second round of voting on his election should not go ahead.

The session, expected for Saturday morning, is still scheduled. The first vote was on Thursday, and Turull failed to achieve an overall majority. But he could have been elected today with a simple majority of 'yes' votes. Parliament president Roger Torrent is holding a round of talks with the spokespeople of all the parliamentary groups to discuss what to do after the Spanish judiciary yesterday jailed Tur and four other Catalan MPs.

A sixth MP that voted on the first round to elect the candidate, ERC secretary general Marta Rovira, went into exile. Three of them have already gave up their seats so they can be substituted by other members.