New ping pong Madrid and Barcelona for the. Fate of the ousted President of Catalonia Carlos Putzdemon.
Putzemon on Saturday called on Catalans to "democraticly resist" Madrid's takeover of the region after it declared independence. And Rajoy, through his government spokesman, indicated that if he wanted to continue the αντί democratic resistance, he should prepare to run in the December 21 elections.
Putin, who had not spoken since announcing his ouster, called for "democratic" resistance today.
"We are convinced that the best way to defend the victories we have won so far is through democratic resistance to the application of Article 155," Putin said in a televised address.
"We will continue to work to build a free country," he said in a carefully chosen speech in which he did not appear to acknowledge his expulsion.
Putzdemon appeared next to a Catalan and a European flag. In the written version of the televised sermon that was broadcast at the same time, he signed as "Carles Putzdemon, President of the Generalitat (government) of Catalonia".
The expulsion of the Catalan government and the dissolution of the regional parliament decided yesterday by Madrid "are decisions that are against the will of the citizens of our country as it is expressed in the polls," he added.
The Catalans "know very well that in a democratic society, it is the parliament that dismisses the president," he said, adding that the application of Article 155 is a "premeditated attack on the will of the Catalans."
The new stage that Catalonia has entered requires an "inexhaustible spirit of peace and politics", he continued. "Our will is to continue to work to carry out our democratic mandate."
The Spanish government announced today that it would welcome the participation of ousted President of Catalonia Carles Puigdemon in the regional elections called for December 21.
Government spokesman Inigo Mendeth de Vigo told Reuters TV in an interview that if Putzdemon wanted to continue his political career "something that is his right, I think he should prepare for the next elections".
"I am quite confident that if Putin runs in this election, he will be able to exercise this democratic resistance," the government spokesman said.
The government official also stressed his belief that the Catalan police will obey the law after the removal of its leaders.
He stressed that if the president of Catalonia refuses to leave his office, the government will react with "intelligence and common sense".
Asked what would happen if Carles Putzdemon was prosecuted, Mendes de Vigo replied that in Spain the judiciary and political powers operate autonomously and that "no one is above the law", without commenting further.
However, the Spanish prosecutor's office is expected to prosecute next week for "stopping" Pujdemon, who is in danger of imprisonment.
The accusation is "absolute nonsense. The crime of stopping requires a public and violent uprising "in order to be substantiated, said the lawyer of the Catalan leader Zaume Alonso Kevillas to the French Agency.
The Vice President of the Spanish Government at the helm of Catalonia until the elections
Earlier on Saturday, the Spanish government immediately implemented Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution in order to regain control of Catalonia.
As it became known on Saturday morning, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Spanish Government, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, is taking over the presidency of Catalonia.
The Deputy Prime Minister assumes most of the duties of President and Deputy Prime Minister of the Regional Government of Catalonia, in accordance with the royal decrees published this morning in the Official Gazette of the State.
According to the newspaper El Pais, after the removal of Carles Putzdemon and Oriol Zunkeras, as well as all members of the government, Soraya Saint-de-Santamaria will play a key role in coordinating the transfer of administrative responsibilities from Barcelona to Madrid.
Madrid's first move, a few hours after the immediate imposition of its sovereignty on the region, was to "dismantle" all high-ranking police officers.
The Spanish government has therefore officially announced the dismissal of the Chief of Police of Catalonia, Josep Luis Trapero.
Source: TheToc
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