Catalunya's president passes law to facilitate referendum 'in all but name'
Sunday, September 21, 2014 @ 8:16 PM
CATALUNYA'S regional government has approved a new law allowing 'public consultations', or non-binding referenda to be held.
President Artur Mas says this is not just to provide a legal instrument for the independence vote he intends to hold on November 9, but to allow the Generalitat and town councils to 'get the public to participate' in decision-making.
The law was approved almost unanimously, with 106 votes in favour and 28 against from the regional PP party and Ciutadans.
Both of these said the legislation was 'a trap' which would effectively make a binding independence vote legal, even though – in the opinion of the Spanish central government – it goes against the national Constitution.
And with the 'consultation law' now getting the green light, Catalunya could be in trouble with Rajoy's cabinet, since the vote would still be, in effect, a referendum in all but name.
Reporters from all over the world turned up to attend the regional Parliamentary meeting, since Catalunya's planned secession vote – which Rajoy and the rest of the PP intend to try to block – will be the second this year after Thursday's independence referendum in Scotland.
The PPC says there was no need to pass new regional legislation 'to help the public take an active part in political decisions', since there is already a law which makes this possible.
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