Artur Mas refuses to be reelected president of the Government of Catalonia

USPA NEWS - The previous chairman of the regional Government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, resigned on Saturday to be re-elected for another term, in order to avoid new elections and ensure the continuity of Catalan independence process.

At the edge of the legal limit, Artur Mas announced Saturday that gives "step aside" and give up being reelected president of the regional Government of Catalonia, thus addressing the need for the anti-capitalist coalition CUP, who refused to support their investment. With this decision, the holding of new elections in Catalonia avoided, since the regional Parliament plenary held this Sunday investiture, which will be elected by absolute majority, the current mayor of the city of Girona, Carles Puigdemont.

According to Artur Mas, he has decided to resign from the Presidency of the Catalan Government "convinced" that the benefits outweigh the costs and that it also does not want charges. For the regional Parliament of Catalonia conclude an investiture plenary on Sunday, it was necessary the Together for the Yes ““ the coalition of parties which groups the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia and the Republican Left of Catalonia - and the CUP reach an agreement on Saturday. Otherwise, at midnight on Sunday it would have been dissolved Parliament and elections would have been automatically convened.

Carles Puigdemont was until now mayor of Girona, one of the four capital provinces of Catalonia and president of the Association of Municipalities for Independence. It was one of the leaders accepted by the CUP to resume negotiations with Together for the Yes. The latter coalition needs the support of at least six of the ten members of the CUP to achieve an absolute majority in the regional Parliament of Catalonia. The new president of the Catalan Government should be elected on the first ballot, for which he needs an absolute majority, as there is no deadline for a new plenary session two days later, as the law.

According to Artur Mas, the holding of elections "was the worst option of all." Therefore, he said at a press conference, "out of a sense of country", should take the decision to withdraw. But he admitted that "circumstances have changed" and the exhaustion of legal deadlines have forced Together for the Yes to accept a change of its candidate for the Presidency of the regional Government. Thus elections avoided, with the uncertain outcome trucking, independence and continuity of the project is secured.

In exchange for the withdrawal of Artur Mas, the CUP is committed to give stability to the new Catalan Government. In this connection, two of the members of the anti-capitalist coalition will join the parliamentary structure of Together for the Yes, announced on Saturday Artur Mas, who said that although not want charges, has been made available to the new Government to help in order independence.