Catalans to press ahead with referendum plans

MADRID -- Catalan political parties in favor of holding an Independence Referendum on November 9 have agreed to continue with preparations for the vote despite its suspension by the Spanish Constitutional Court on Monday.

The three-hour meeting, between Catalan President Artur Mas and members of his Convergence and Union party (CiU), as well as Republican Left (ERC), ICV-EUiA and CUP ended with the spokesperson for the Catalan Parliament Frances Homs explaining that the Catalans were going to continue with their plans for the Referendum.

"We have decided to continue convoking the referendum with the hope that the citizens can participate and carry out their right to vote on November 9," said Homs, who asked the Constitutional Court to "lift" the suspension of the vote and carry out an "exhaustive analysis," in order to provide the "best possible conditions," for the vote to be held.

Meanwhile in Madrid, the Spanish cabinet held its weekly meeting in the shadow of the decision taken by Mas on Thursday to sign a decree to appoint an Electoral Board for the Referendum which is scheduled for November 9.

Mas' move comes despite the fact that on Monday the Spanish Constitutional Court suspended the Referendum and any preparations to hold the vote after the Spanish government launched a legal appeal insisting that the planned vote was unconstitutional and can be viewed as a clear challenge to Madrid.

Spanish Vice President Soraya Saenz de Santamaria announced after cabinet meeting that the government will now appeal against the appointment of the Electoral Board confirmed by Mas.

"Nobody can decide when they will fulfil or when they will not fulfil the resolutions of the courts," said Saenz de Santamaria, adding "nobody can design their own made to measure democracy," and that state lawyers will be making the appeal next week.

This all happened on the day when the publication of a new poll (Inquest into the Debate over General Policy) showed that Republican Left and not Mas' CiU would win a hypothetical election should one be held in Catalonia right now.

This is a move to the left from the socially conservative CiU and implies attitudes towards Madrid are hardening in Catalonia with 70 percent of Catalans now in favor of holding an independence referendum.

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