- Title: SPAIN-CATALONIA Catalan president Artur Mas speaks as crucial vote nears
- Date: 11th September 2015
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 10, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PRO INDEPENDENCE COALITION "JUNTS PEL SI" (TOGETHER FOR THE YES") CANDIDATES ENTERING EVENT CATALAN SEPARATIST "ESTELADA" FLAG WAVING COALITION LEADERS CLAPPING ON STAGE PEOPLE CLAPPING CATALAN PRESIDENT ARTUR MAS HOLDING SPEECH GIRL WEARING SEPARATIST FLAG AS A LAYER (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) CATALAN PRESIDENT AND CANDIDATE, ARTUR MAS, SAYING: "Together we have done everything in our hands, and we will keep on doing it until September 27 and after that. We have done everything in our hands, everything we could to change this status quo and to lead Catalonia to a real change, a positive one written with capital letters, to become a normal country like all our neighbours in Europe. That is what we have done." PEOPLE CLAPPING CATALAN SEPARATIST FLAG WAVING REPUBLICAN LEFT LEADER AND CANDIDATE ORIOL JUNQUERAS HOLDING SPEECH (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) REPUBLICAN LEFT LEADER AND CANDIDATE, ORIOL JUNQUERAS, SAYING: "A long time ago, when we went to university - and it is almost 25 years ago - we liked the idea of getting ready to do our best to achieve the independence of out country. That day is here. Independence is so close that we can almost touch it. We are really close to grabbing it with our own hands." PEOPLE CLAPPING CANDIDATES EMBRACING EACH OTHER CATALAN SEPARATIST FLAGS WAVING
- Embargoed: 26th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAAFNGMPKF1R0DT7VOP0ZYMMOGX
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The campaign for a Catalan election portrayed as a proxy vote on independence for the wealthy northeastern region kicked off on Thursday (September 10) just before midnight.
Catalan President Artur Mas has joined left winged ERC in a pro-independence movement called Junts Pel Si, which is expected to win 60-61 seats on September 27.
Together with the more radical, left-wing CUP, they could achieve a combined vote of around 44 percent and 68-69 seats - the narrowest possible majority, according to the the state-run Sociological Research Center's (CIS) latest poll.
Mas has said that a separatist majority of at least 68 seats in the 135-member Catalan parliament is the minimum needed to launch a "road map" to secession within 18 months.
"Together we have done everything in our hands, and we will keep on doing it until September 27 and after that. WE have done everything in our hands, everything we could to change this status quo and to lead Catalonia to a real change, a positive one written with capital letters, to become a normal country like all our neighbours in Europe. That is what we have done," he told hundreds of supporters at the Junts Pel Si campaign opener.
If the poll results were confirmed on election day, it would give ammunition to opponents of independence -- as they may well argue that the separatist parties would lack a mandate sufficient to push ahead with an independence campaign.
Falling short of a majority in the Catalan parliament would be a severe blow to the separatist cause.
Oriol Junqueras, leader of ERC, the only traditionally separatist party in the region is confident that the independence of Catalonia is just around the corner.
"A long time ago, when we went to university - and it is almost 25 years ago - we liked the idea of getting ready to do our best to achieve the independence of out country. That day is here. Independence is so close that we can almost touch it. We are really close to grabbing it with our own hands," he said during his speech.
Spain's centre-right Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy fiercely opposes Mas's attempts to turn the Catalan election into a proxy vote on independence. He said last week that independence for Catalonia, which accounts for nearly a fifth of Spanish economic output, would never happen and described it as "nonsense".
Tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters of independence are expected to flood the streets of Barcelona on Friday (September 11) for a march marking Catalonia's national day, which this year will also signal the start of campaigning for the Catalan election. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
