The economically powerful region of Catalonia voted into office a large majority of pro-independence lawmakers.
The ruling Convergence and Union alliance, has won 50 seats in the 135-seat local parliament. However, the regional president of the CIU party, Artur Mas, who is seeking a breakaway from Spain, saw his party’s majority reduced by 12 seats.
Convergencia i Unio (CIU) party's candidate Artur Mas shows his Spanish identity card
before casting his vote for the Catalunya's regional government in Barcelona November
25, 2012.
Meanwhile, the separatist Republican Left, or ERC, took the second with 21 seats.
Artur Mas has campaigned on a pledge to hold a referendum on independence, in response to a resurgent separatist movement among Catalans.
Mas says the industrious northeastern region of Catalonia is being asked to shoulder too much of the tax burden to help the debt-stricken country. He says the region will fare better if it becomes independent.
Convergencia i Unio (CIU) party's candidate Artur Mas casts
his vote for the Catalunya's regional government in Barcelona
November 25, 2012.
中国公共新闻摘编:GAN JADE |