The new Catalan Parliament to be constituted on Monday 26th of October

Barcelona (CNA).- Current Catalan President, Artur Mas, signed this Wednesday the decree which sets the 26th of October as the day of the plenary session to constitute the new Parliament. Although Mas has used up the maximum legal term for signing the decree calling for the constitution of the new Parliament, the negotiations between cross-party list 'Junts Pel Sí' and radical left pro-independence CUP regarding who will be President are still ongoing. The future composition of the Parliament's Bureau isn't clear either, as anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans, alternative-left coalition 'Catalunya Sí que es Pot', Catalan Socialist Party PSC and Catalan People's Party PPC demand that 'Junts Pel Sí' not have an absolute majority in the Bureau. In relation to the possible call for new elections in the event the two parties can't reach an agreement, Mas assured that he will do "everything possible" to avoid that.

On Monday 26^th of October, the 135 MPs elected by Catalan citizens will take their seats. In the plenary session that will start the executive's term in office, the MPs will have to choose the seven members of the Parliament's Bureau, the most important authority in the chamber. The Bureau is composed by the President, two vice-presidents and four secretaries. The future composition of the Parliament's Bureau isn't clear yet, as anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans, alternative-left coalition 'Catalunya Sí que es Pot', Catalan Socialist Party PSC and Catalan People's Party PPC demand that 'Junts Pel Sí' not have an absolute majority in the body.

The distribution of the 135 MPs, 62 for 'Junts Pel Sí', 25 for Ciutadans, 16 for Catalan PSC, 11 for 'Catalunya Sí que es Pot', 11 for PPC and 10 for CUP will be provisional. The definitive allocation of seats will be decided by the Parliament's Bureau in the first joint meeting, once the Parliament is constituted.

President Mas: The negotiations with CUP "require time and patience"

At a press conference right after having signed the decree to constitute the next Catalan Parliament, Mas admitted that the legal terms to do so had been used up due to "the complexity" of the negotiations between cross-party 'Junts Pel Sí' and radical left pro-independence CUP, the two main forces in the Parliament which support Catalonia's independence. "These negotiations require time and patience from both parts" he admitted. "The puzzle is really complex" as "there are very different positions", he stated, referring to the different view that each party has regarding the roadmap towards independence and the foundation of the Catalan republic. Nevertheless, Mas admitted to being "moderately optimistic".

In relation to the possible call for new elections in the event that the two parties can't reach an agreement, Mas assured that he will do "everything possible" to avoid that. "It is not 100% impossible, but it's not the wanted, nor desired or expected scenario" he said.