The government of the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia will decide by October 15 whether to push ahead with a contested referendum on separation from the rest of Spain, a spokesman said on Monday.
Catalonia, with a population of 7.5 million people, its own language and accounting for a fifth of Spain's economy, has long sought independence and was buoyed by the close result of last month's referendum in Scotland. Scotland voted to stay with the United Kingdom, choosing not to end the 307-year-old union.
But Spain's central government says the referendum called for November 9 is illegal and the country's Constitutional Court has suspended it while it deliberates on its legality, a process that could take months or years.
"We can't decide on this... on November 7 or 8," said Francesc Homs, spokesman for the Catalan government, in a radio interview.
Artur Mas, the leader of Catalonia, is under pressure from more radical pro-independence supporters to defy Madrid and the Constitutional Court and push ahead with the referendum. Although his administration initially temporarily suspended campaigning for the referendum after the court ruling, it later changed its tone and said it would push on.
In a television advertisement on Saturday it said it had agreed "to take the legal, political and institutional initiative to guarantee the right to decide the political future of Catalonia".
Also Read:
7 separatist movements that are closely watching Scotland's independence referendum
The Scottish independence referendum is being held at a time when the world is witnessing much strife from anti-government protests and the ensuing crises in several countries. There has been an ongoing wave of violence in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, Palestine-Gaza, Libya and other parts of Africa, what the Pope recently referred to as a 'piecemeal World War III'. Amidst fears that the referendum, coming at a time of such turmoil, could cause a domino effect, nationalist and separatist or independence movements around the world are keeping a close eye on the ongoing events in Scotland. Read more
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