 |
| Photograph @gencat |
The president of Catalonia, Artur Mas, signed a decree on Saturday authorising a vote on independence on November 9th, for the north-eastern region of Spain.
Signing the decree in Barcelona, Mas said the vote, that has been entitled the 'Non-referendum popular consultation on the political future of Catalonia 2014', would be held in line with the Scottish referendum.
"Catalonia wants to speak. Wants to be heard. Wants to vote. Now is the right time and we have the right legal framework to do so," Mas told reporters following the signing in a speech in Catalan, Spanish and English.
 |
The decree defies the government in Madrid, which has declared any such vote as unconstitutional.
The Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed to block any referendum.
"Quite simply, it is not legal so won't be held," Rajoy was quoted by CNN as saying.
"In addition to not being legal, it goes against our whole history and our feelings, against what the vast majority of the Spanish people think, against our past and against the future of the Spanish people that live in Catalonia and in the rest of Spain."
See related articles:
Over 700 Catalan councils to support establishment of independence vote on November 9 (24 Sep 2014)
Independence vote approved by Catalan parliament (20 Sep 2014)
Catalan politicians set to pass legislation legalising independence referendum (15 Sep 2014)
1.8 million demonstrate for Catalan independence (11 Sep 2014)
Spanish PM rallies against Catalan referendum amidst warning of investor backlash (28 Aug 2014)
Catalan president vows to hold independence referendum this year (23 Apr 2014)