Pro-independence parties win parliamentary elections in Spain's Catalonia

Pro-independence political parties won on Sunday parliamentary elections in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia in a day marked by a huge participation of more than 77 percent.

With 96.05 percent of votes counted, the main pro-independence party, "Junts Pel Si" (Together for Yes) won 62 seats that added to the 10 seats of the smaller leftist party CUP (Candidatura d'Unitat Popular) is 72 seats, majority at the 135 seats parliament, but two fewer seats when compared with 2012 elections.

Pro-independence parties would jointly obtain majority of seats, but not of votes as they do not reach 48 percent of vote, (Junts Pel Si has 39.61 percent and CUP 8.19 percent).

On the other hand, centre-right party Ciutadans obtained 25 seats, climbing from the 9 seats of 2012 elections, becoming the main opposition party in the parliament, followed by the Socialist party with 16 seats.

The political party, Catalonia Yes We Can, has 11 seats. Although the party does not directly support independence, they are in favor of holding a consultation on the relationship between Spain and Catalonia.

Meanwhile, Spain's ruling Partido Popular (PP) has 11 seats.

The president of the regional government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, said that the results gave strength to go on with the process and asked the Spanish government to accept the results.

Mas called for early elections last August billing them as a plebiscite on independence from Spain. However, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said in July that Catalonia would not be granted independence no matter what the result of the elections.

The Spanish government has always refused to allow a referendum on the independence of the region as according to them it breaches Spain's constitution.

Source: XINHUA