By SINIKKA TARVAINEN — dpa
Spain's Constitutional Court on Wednesday declared illegal a
sovereignty declaration by the northeastern region of Catalonia, which
was designed to serve as a basis for a referendum on regional
independence. The court suspended the declaration for five months
while it considers a complaint against it by Prime Minister Mariano
Rajoy's government. The Catalan parliament approved the declaration in
January, defining the region of 7.6 million residents as a "sovereign
political and legal subject."
The declaration was due to launch a process toward independence, which
would culminate in a referendum in 2014. Madrid regards the plan as
illegal, saying regions may not organize referendums. Catalan regional
Prime Minister Artur Mas said the Constitutional Court decision was
"very worrying and disappointing." He said the region would
nevertheless go ahead with its separatist plans. Spain's economic
crisis has fanned separatism in Catalonia, which has traditionally
been the country's economic powerhouse. Many Catalans feel the region
would have weathered the crisis better if it had not been required to
transfer part of its tax revenue to poorer regions.
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/05/08/3000920/spanish-court-suspends-catalan.html#storylink=cpy
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