Catalan leader puts independence on hold, as he seeks to negotiate with Madrid
‘I propose suspending the effects of the declaration of independence to undertake talks to reach an agreed solution’
Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said on Tuesday he is asking parliament to suspend the effects of a declaration of independence to hold talks with Spain.
He added that he has mandate to declare independence but proposes waiting ‘a few weeks’ to encourage dialogue.
Puigdemont told the Catalan parliament a landslide victory in the region’s disputed October 1 referendum on independence gives his government a mandate to implement its long-held desire to break century-old ties with Spain. But he suggested holding off.
“I assume the mandate that Catalonia should become an independent state in the form of a republic. I propose suspending the effects of the declaration of independence to undertake talks to reach an agreed solution,” Puigdemont told the regional parliament in Barcelona.
Puigdemont’s speech was highly critical of the Spanish government’s response to the referendum, but he said Catalans have nothing against Spain or Spaniards, and they want to understand each other better.
