Catalonia’s parliamentary speaker, Roger Torrent, postponed Tuesday’s vote that would have authorized the region’s separatist leader Carles Puigdemont to form a government. Torrent did not give a new date for the vote, saying only that the session would reconvene as soon as Spanish authorities guarantee they “won’t interfere” in Puigdemont’s re-election. Earlier on Tuesday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy urged the Catalan regional parliament to make “the most sensible decision” by halting Puigdemont’s re-election. Speaking on Spanish National Television, the Spanish prime minister warned Torrent of legal consequences if he elected Puigdemont in abstentia. Torrent, however, rejected Rajoy’s call to propose a “clean candidate”instead, saying Puigdemont had “every right” to rule.

Source: Egypt Independent January 30, 2018 11:03 UTC