Spain's Catalonia regional leader signs decree for early elections

Catalonia's regional president Artur Mas speaks after he signed a decree calling for the region's elections to be held on September 27 at Palau de la Generalitat in Barcelona, Spain, August 3, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

MADRID -- The president of the Spanish regional government of Catalonia, La Generalitat, Artur Mas, signed on Monday evening a decree calling for the region's early elections on Sept 27.

The elections are framed as a vote on independence according to the president, although the decree does not include any reference to that and in legal terms the elections are normal regional elections.

However, Mas pointed out that from a political point of view, political parties will turn the elections into a plebiscite on the independence of the region.

Mas' political party, Convergencia Democratica de Catalunya (CDC), and left-wing pro-independence Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) presented a joint list along with other people who support independence. The list is called "Junts pel si" (Together for Yes).

Mas said that if pro-independence parties, which not only include CDC and ERC, win the majority of votes in parliament, Catalonia will aim for independence within 18 months.

The elections campaign will start on Sept 11, when Barcelona traditionally hosts events to support independence and the right to vote on the issue.

The Spanish government has always refused to hold a poll on the region's so called independence and blocked several attempts, although on Nov 9, 2014, Catalonia held a symbolic opinion poll when around 2.2 million people voted and 80 percent of them backed independence.

Spain's Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria told reporters on Monday that Mas must respect legality and impartiality as a president-in-office.

She said that Catalonia is holding elections for the third time in less than five years which proves a "failure" when it comes to giving solutions to needs and problems of the Catalan people.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy will analyze on Tuesday the upcoming Catalan elections.

Rajoy said in mid July that the Catalan region of Spain will not be granted independence no matter what the result of the Catalan regional elections scheduled for Sept 27.