Puigdemont, Colau demand dialogue

The Catalan government does not intend to call a halt to the referendum, but once more yesterday showed the world its willingness to negotiate the vote with the Spanish government. The President of the Generalitat, Carles Puigdemont, the Vice President, Oriol Junqueras, the Mayoress of Barcelona, Ada Colau and the Speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Carme Forcadell, addressed a letter to Felipe VI and especially the Spanish president, Mariano Rajoy, to make a call to “initiate a dialogue without conditions”. The aim is to negotiate the means by which agreement can be reached so that Catalans can hold the referendum.

The demand, which comes after the agreement was reached between Puigdemont and Colau which now ensures that people in the Catalan capital can vote freely, places more on the Spanish government which at present is adamant in banning referendum.

The letter was made public after the Generalitat refused to comply with the requirement by Spain’s government to issue a weekly summary of government expenditure to show that no public funds were being spent on the referendum, which in effect tightens Madrid’s control over Catalan finances. It also coincided with the beginning of the official referendum campaign and the failure to close the October 1 referendum website and despite the legal complaints weighing on members of the government, parliamentary officials, the Electoral Commission, elected mayors and the opening of proceedings against more than 712 mayors by the State Prosecutor’s office.

The four signatories of the letter claim that Spain is undertaking an “offensive of unprecedented repression” that limits the fundamental right to freedom of expression.