Catalonian leader warns Sanchez with no-confidence vote

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Catalonia's president said his party’s lawmakers would vote against Spanish prime minister in the next week's vote of confidence in the parliament if the Socialist leader does not propose "to give voice to the people of Catalonia".

In an open letter to the Spanish government published in Catalan daily La Vanguardia, separatist leader Quim Torra invited Pedro Sanchez to think of "a long haul solution and not a short-term interest".

If Sanchez continues to follow a path that "straggles and criminalizes" the political and democratic will of the Catalans, "it does not make any sense" to give him once again the support to renew the presidency, said Torra.

"Make a proposal to give voice to the people of Catalonia, if not, my position is to vote no to your investiture," Torra warned.

He wrote that Sanchez became premier with the support of the majority of Catalan deputies, pro-independence groups, "in a gesture of generosity" and a vote of confidence that "has not been compensated in any way".

Sanchez will undergo a vote of confidence on July 23 after negotiations to form a minority government led by the ruling PSOE party failed.

In the 350-seat Spanish Assembly, the government needs 176 votes to get the vote of confidence, while the PSOE has 123 deputies.

If Sanchez failed to form a government next week with the vote of confidence, the country will hold its fourth general election in the last four years.

Torra was elected president in May 2018.

Spain dissolved the Catalan parliament after the government of the semi-autonomous region held an illegal referendum on independence in October 2017 and called fresh elections.