The investiture debate to elect a new President starts

Barcelona (CNA).-  The investiture debate to elect a new Catalan President takes place this Sunday, just before all the legal deadlines are due to expire and new elections would have had to been called in Catalonia. Current Catalan President Artur Mas is stepping aside and has named  Association of Municipalities for Independence (AMI) president and mayor of Girona city Carles Puigdemont as his preferred successor. During his investiture speech, Puigdemont apologised for the “last-minute agreement” that pro-independence forces reached on Saturday and thanked Mas for his “painful but exceptional and courageous gesture”. According to the pro-independence forces’ last-minute agreement, Artur Mas’ candidate will get the support of 68 MPs from the 135 in the Parliament, so that he can be instated in the first round. Puigdemont’s investiture would allow the government to start working on the roadmap towards independence.

Puigdemont: The pro-independece remains “unalterable”

The candidate to run for Catalan President insisted on his commitment to the roadmap towards independence and called on all parties to “start working in light of the [pro-independence] declaration approved by the Parliament on the 9th of November”. “Our duty is to comply with the democratic mandate of the Parliament, because it was approved, because it is this Parliament’s will, the citizens’ will” stated Puigdemont. The candidate to run for Catalan President bids to “start negotiations with the Spanish State, with Europe and with the international community” for the declaration “to achieve recognition”. In this sense, he emphasised that Mas would be an asset on which he would count. “These are not times for cowards nor for giving up in favour of comfort” Puigdemont also named the priorities of his government, which are a fairer country with more job opportunities and which is more transparent.