By MATT MOFFETT
When Catalonia's government bowed to legal pressure and canceled a nonbinding referendum on independence this month, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy declared victory and said he was willing to discuss the grievances of the wealthy region.
But now tensions between Madrid and Barcelona are flaring up again, as Mr. Rajoy lays the groundwork for a possible legal challenge to the symbolic vote that Catalonia is planning on Nov. 9 as a substitute.
On Thursday, the Council of State, the central government's highest advisory body, recommended suing again to block the substitute vote. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Rajoy assailed it as a "pseudo-referendum" and said his government would discuss its next step at Friday's regular cabinet meeting.
The substitute vote, which Catalonia plans to hold informally, with volunteer poll-watchers and same-day registration, "doesn't comply with democratic conditions," Mr. Rajoy said. "It doesn't have a (voter) census, nor a law that covers it, nor a governing body that watches over its neutrality."
He reiterated his government's contention that Catalonia was wrongfully acting unilaterally to address its relationship with the rest of Spain, when that "question continues to be the responsibility of all Spaniards."
Catalan leader Artur Mas canceled the referendum two weeks ago after Spain'sconstitutional court issued an injunction blocking it while justices weighed a lawsuit filed by Mr. Rajoy's government.
Instead, the Catalan government plans what it describes as a "citizen participation process," overseen by 40,000 volunteers at more than 1,300 polling stations, many located in schools. Participants would register as they vote because the national voter rolls wouldn't be available.
The Catalan government has created an instructional website, but has also tried to make private citizens, municipal governments and civil-society groups share some of the administrative responsibility.
In Barcelona on Thursday, Mr. Mas told reporters that he was "everything but surprised" by the council of state's finding, but intended to go ahead with the substitute vote for now.
Mr. Mas and other pro-independence leaders said on Wednesday that if Mr. Rajoy tried to block the substitute vote, they would fight him in international forums including the United Nations and the European Parliament.
Mr. Mas accused the central government of acting "like cowards, going to the constitutional court for a job that should be strictly political."
Critics questioning the legality of the substitute vote have focused on the ballot, which would bear the same two-part question that had been planned for use in the referendum. The first is whether voters want Catalonia to be a state. The second is whether they want it to be an independent state.
While many Catalan independence supporters initially criticized the new format as lacking credibility, more Catalans have come around to embracing it as a show of resolve.
A recent poll commissioned by the Barcelona daily El Periodico indicated that two million people would turn out, or about one-third of eligible voters.
The latest standoff between Mr. Rajoy and Mr. Mas comes as both face major political headaches at home.
Mr. Rajoy issued a public apology this week after the latest in a series of corruption scandals. More than 50 people were detained Monday, including the former head of the Madrid branch of Mr. Rajoy's Popular Party, on suspicion of involvement in an alleged scheme of illegal payments for government contracts.
Mr. Mas's Convergence and Union coalition is also suffering the political fallout from atax evasion case involving the coalition's founder.
Spain is only now emerging from years of economic pain and Catalonia, which accounts for one quarter of Spain's exports, plays a big role in keeping the recovery going.
Catalan separatists say Spain's central government doesn't respect their language and culture, or give them a fair return on their taxes. Spanish leaders say Catalonia has plenty of autonomy, and that the Catalan political class just needs to put its house in order.
When Catalonia's government bowed to legal pressure and canceled a nonbinding referendum on independence this month, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy declared victory and said he was willing to discuss the grievances of the wealthy region.
But now tensions between Madrid and Barcelona are flaring up again, as Mr. Rajoy lays the groundwork for a possible legal challenge to the symbolic vote that Catalonia is planning on Nov. 9 as a substitute.
On Thursday, the Council of State, the central government's highest advisory body, recommended suing again to block the substitute vote. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Rajoy assailed it as a "pseudo-referendum" and said his government would discuss its next step at Friday's regular cabinet meeting.
The substitute vote, which Catalonia plans to hold informally, with volunteer poll-watchers and same-day registration, "doesn't comply with democratic conditions," Mr. Rajoy said. "It doesn't have a (voter) census, nor a law that covers it, nor a governing body that watches over its neutrality."
He reiterated his government's contention that Catalonia was wrongfully acting unilaterally to address its relationship with the rest of Spain, when that "question continues to be the responsibility of all Spaniards."
Catalan leader Artur Mas canceled the referendum two weeks ago after Spain'sconstitutional court issued an injunction blocking it while justices weighed a lawsuit filed by Mr. Rajoy's government.
Instead, the Catalan government plans what it describes as a "citizen participation process," overseen by 40,000 volunteers at more than 1,300 polling stations, many located in schools. Participants would register as they vote because the national voter rolls wouldn't be available.
The Catalan government has created an instructional website, but has also tried to make private citizens, municipal governments and civil-society groups share some of the administrative responsibility.
In Barcelona on Thursday, Mr. Mas told reporters that he was "everything but surprised" by the council of state's finding, but intended to go ahead with the substitute vote for now.
Mr. Mas and other pro-independence leaders said on Wednesday that if Mr. Rajoy tried to block the substitute vote, they would fight him in international forums including the United Nations and the European Parliament.
Mr. Mas accused the central government of acting "like cowards, going to the constitutional court for a job that should be strictly political."
Critics questioning the legality of the substitute vote have focused on the ballot, which would bear the same two-part question that had been planned for use in the referendum. The first is whether voters want Catalonia to be a state. The second is whether they want it to be an independent state.
While many Catalan independence supporters initially criticized the new format as lacking credibility, more Catalans have come around to embracing it as a show of resolve.
A recent poll commissioned by the Barcelona daily El Periodico indicated that two million people would turn out, or about one-third of eligible voters.
The latest standoff between Mr. Rajoy and Mr. Mas comes as both face major political headaches at home.
Mr. Rajoy issued a public apology this week after the latest in a series of corruption scandals. More than 50 people were detained Monday, including the former head of the Madrid branch of Mr. Rajoy's Popular Party, on suspicion of involvement in an alleged scheme of illegal payments for government contracts.
Mr. Mas's Convergence and Union coalition is also suffering the political fallout from atax evasion case involving the coalition's founder.
Spain is only now emerging from years of economic pain and Catalonia, which accounts for one quarter of Spain's exports, plays a big role in keeping the recovery going.
Catalan separatists say Spain's central government doesn't respect their language and culture, or give them a fair return on their taxes. Spanish leaders say Catalonia has plenty of autonomy, and that the Catalan political class just needs to put its house in order.
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