MOSCOW, September 25 (RIA Novosti) – The leader of the Spanish region of Catalonia Artur Mas is expected to sign a decree on holding an independence referendum on Saturday, El Pais reported on Thursday, citing sources in the local government.
“The scene of the signing of the decree … is ready in the Palau de la Generalitat [in Barcelona],” El Pais newspaper informed.
At the same time, the new king of Spain Felipe VI made his first appearance before the United Nations on Thursday at the UN’s 69th General Assembly, and said that Spain has “set up a social and democratic state that protects the diversity of all its citizens and regions.”
The day after the majority of Scots voted against secession from the United Kingdom on September 18, the Catalan parliament approved a law allowing a referendum on independence.
The Spanish government has made a request to the Constitutional Court to issue an injunction to halt the vote. If the court agrees to hear the case, Catalonia will not be allowed to proceed with the vote until a final decision is made.
Catalan separatists accuse the central government of draining the region of tax revenues and constraining its linguistic and cultural autonomy. The central government, however, claims Catalonia benefits from the union with Spain and enjoys a wide autonomy. Separatist tendencies in Catalonia were fueled during the lead up to the independence referendum in Scotland.
