DEPOSED Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and his allies Quim Torra, the current president and the jailed Jordi Sanchez, who heads Together for Catalonia (JxCat), last night launched a new political group to further the Catalan independence cause.
Crida Nacional (National Call) for the Republic is described as a “transversal” organisation that will become “the true meeting place of the political and civic actors of sovereignty”, and ultimately a political party.
It has emerged from JxCat, the Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT), Together for the Republic and other pro-independence groups with the goal of integrating a wide range of people. Sanchez yesterday tweeted his approval of the new group: “Very satisfied that @JNCatalunya approval, in its CN, defend a cross-political movement for the Republic, based on @JuntsXCat and configured transparently.”
However, Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) spokesperson Marta Vilalta said they saw it as strengthening the centre ground, while ERC was committed to moving the republic forward.
She said ERC had not spoken to Puigdemont or Torra: “We know from the public level that today the presentation is made, but we have not had any conversations with them.
“We will be welcoming, although we have not received an invitation to be there this afternoon, we intend to go there to listen.”
President of the Catalan National Congress (ANC), Elisenda Paluzie, said they would wait to see what Crida Nacional offered.
“We will not value your proposal until we know the details,” she said. “After the October commotion and later political repression, and how the various actors have reacted, it is logical that there are re-compositions in the political space.”
The move came as the first of Catalonia’s nine imprisoned pro-independence figures began their latest legal moves to be released from jail.
Sanchez, Jordi Turull and Josep Rull presented their cases to the Supreme Court after a German court ruled last week that Puigdemont – who is exiled in Germany – could not be extradited to face a charge of rebellion.
Jordi Pina, their lawyer, said circumstances had changed since they were first imprisoned between six and nine months ago.
He said they would be willing to remain under house arrest, tagged, or have their passports withdrawn, along with measures such as reporting to a local police station or offering deposits.
“They are willing, even, to offer as a guarantee all their assets to make it clear that their purpose is to remain in the Spanish territory and face the next trial,” said Pina. “To punish some who have been prosecuted for what they have done is radically against the [innocent until proven] guilty principle.”
He said courts in the UK, Belgium and Germany had freed those fighting extradition, and added: “The current interim prison situation of several members does not contribute to solving the complex political situation that in Catalonia... on the contrary, imprisonment… generates evident social tension.”
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