Catalan president assumes full responsibility for the illegal referendum on 9-N

USPA NEWS - The president of the regional Government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, declared Thursday as accused for organizing an illegal referendum on independence, held on November 9, 2014. Before the judge, he took full responsibility for organizing the referendum.

However, he said that the development of election day was in the hands of volunteers "except the Police" Catalan. Artur Mas responded to the judge's questions and his defense, but refused to answer the prosecutor and the private prosecution. His statement came as the street from the Superior Court of Catalonia (TSJC its Spanish acronym), about 3,000 people chanting slogans in support of the regional president and protesting against prosecution. Later, at a press conference, Artur Mas considered processing under criminal law is unjustified and accused the Spanish Government to promote its complaint by "rage" to the referendum, which he said was a political consultation and re-assumed "all political responsibility" of those facts.

The referendum on independence was held in Catalonia on November 9, 2014 was suspended by the Constitutional Court, yet they held. During the day, the Catalan Police monitored the development of the elections, the Minister of Presidency of the regional Government reported results and president Artur Mas himself appeared publicly to make an assessment of the consultation. Nevertheless, Mas insisted that election day was "in the hands of volunteers" and said the regional Government of Catalonia supported the inquiry only until its suspension by the Constitutional Court.

Asked if disobey the Court if convicted and disqualified defended the independence process is not paralyzed by the sentence and involving many thousands of Catalans. "It depends on the political moment came" disabling, said and asked: "Does anyone believe that this is just disabling anyone, even the president? I do not believe it." He described processing of "frontal attack on the independence" and said that "success 9-N was what caused these complaints. There is no basis in decrees or laws, so there is anger for success."

Artur Mas denies that the demonstration of 3,000 people in Court can be considered pressure on judges, accusing them of being partial because "no judge or prosecutor has never asked the Spanish Government to comply with the rulings of the Constitutional Court" in relation to the Catalonia transfer 3% of the revenue from income tax. "I do not get it. There is support, it is to support. Everyone is subjected to criticism; we in the Government and Parliament, too. When causes and are taught, no one can pretend that people stay in house coy," he said.

Threaten judges is unacceptable

Following his statement before the judge, the union Clean Hands, which holds the private prosecution, announced an extension of the complaint against the regional president of Catalonia and accuse him of "inciting sedition". The union's general secretary, Miguel Bernard, said that the regional Government support to the protest rallies against the TSJC held on Tuesday and Thursday are an example of the Catalan leaders are calling for sedition. Bernard also announced that his union prompted the banning of the CUP, the anti party which won ten deputies in the recent regional elections in Catalonia and trading with the winner, Convergencia i Unio, its entry in the next Government, for "criminal group".

For its part, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, said upon his arrival in Brussels for the European Council to threaten judges is "unacceptable" and reminded the Catalan president that the Spanish law allows fend off accusations all means. Also Minister of Interior, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, said he was "convinced that Justice will not fail to disturb or condition because there is more or less protesters" accompanying the Catalan president. The minister reiterated that the Spanish Government "has nothing to do" with the accusation of Artur Mas and defended the independence of judges because "it is a foundation and a pillar of democracy and democratic state of law."