One week before the vote to elect the next presidency of the Parliament, everything is still up in the air. This Monday, ERC refused to agree with the PSC on the Parliamentary Bureau and has insisted on forming an “anti-repressive” governing body of the Chamber through an agreement with Junts, Comuns and the CUP.
This was expressed by the ERC spokesperson, Raquel Sans, who has closed the door to the proposal of the head of the Comuns–Add to the European list, Jaume Asens. The former deputy in Congress had advocated for a pact of socialists, commoners and republicans so that the presidency of the Parliament remains in the hands of ERC.
Asens, who has highlighted that the only viable sum awarded by the Catalan elections is that of the PSC, ERC and Comuns (68 deputies, just the absolute majority). The formula proposed by ERC is 65 deputies. Regarding the negotiations for the Table, Asens has ruled out his party joining the PSC and PP to prevent a pro-independence majority in the governing body of the chamber.
For her part, Sans has been very critical of the socialists for the doubts shown by the PSC regarding the delegation of the vote of the pro-independence deputies who remain abroad. “The PSC has not been on the side of the rights of the deputies and would have no place in an anti-repressive table,” the Republican spokesperson concluded.
The electoral campaign of the European elections this Sunday has ended up pushing the negotiations between the parties for the Parliamentary Board to the limit, which anticipates that any agreement will be closed on the same Monday just before the constitution session begins and the election of the members of the governing body of the Chamber.
Despite their electoral setback, the Republicans maintain the key to the legislature. Without wanting to publicly show its cards, the options remain only two for ERC: either facilitate an investiture of Salvador Illa or precipitate a repeat election in October. Before, they could support in a vote the candidate Carles Puigdemont, who would not win the presidency due to the lack of a pro-independence majority.
Looking ahead to the first vote of the legislature, Sans has highlighted the importance of having an “anti-repressive Board to defend the rights of deputies in exile and so that everything can be talked about.”
“Although the PSC wants to talk about normality, political normality in Catalonia does not exist as long as there are deputies in exile,” he added. He has also stated that neither PSC nor Junts have formally offered ERC to preside over the Parliament.
Sans has insisted on separating the negotiations for the Board from those of the investiture, and has warned, as the party’s general secretary, Marta Rovira, did on Friday, that in ERC there is no fear of an electoral repetition. “There is a consensus in ERC not to give away our votes,” he warned, and then recalled the conditions of ERC to support Carles Puigdemont or Salvador Illa in an investiture debate: referendum, singular financing, strengthening public services and defending the Catalan.
Once the Parliament is constituted, its new Presidency will open a round of consultations with parliamentary leaders and will propose a candidate for investiture within the next ten business days. The investiture debate must be held on June 25 at the latest.
The presidency of the Chamber will be key to elect the two candidates for the investiture: the PSC candidate, winner of the elections on the 12th and the only presidential candidate with the possibility of reaching a viable majority, Salvador Illa, and the former president and head of Junts list, Carles Puigdemont, who does not throw in the towel despite the independence movement losing its absolute majority.
Source: www.eldiario.es
