(Dan Tri) – Catalonia is once again unclear about whether it has officially declared independence or not when Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont sent a response letter to Prime Minister Mario Rajoy’s administration.
Catalonia Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont (right) was forced to confirm whether or not he had declared independence today, October 16.
The `roundabout` letter
Catalonia Prime Minister Carles Puigdemont declared last week that Catalonia has the right to independence and the referendum on October 1 clearly demonstrated this desire of the people.
However, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has given Catalonia’s leaders until 10:00 a.m. this morning, October 16 (local time) to clearly confirm whether they have declared independence or not.
CNBC news agency said that about 2 hours before the deadline, Catalonia Prime Minister Puigdemont sent a response letter to Prime Minister Rajoy.
The letter only mentioned that Mr. Puigdemont requested to meet directly with Prime Minister Rajoy as soon as possible to discuss the current situation in Catalonia and proposed to conduct dialogue within the next 2 months.
`No matter what has happened, our offer for dialogue is very sincere,` Mr. Puigdemont wrote in the letter.
It is unclear how the Madid government will react to the above proposal of the Prime Minister of Catalonia.
Catalonia’s dilemma
March in Barcelona calling for a unified Spain on October 12.
Observers say that Catalonia is in a dilemma and that may be the reason why the region’s Premier refuses to give a clear answer.
If the Prime Minister of Catalonia confirms that he has declared independence or even ignores the ultimatum, Prime Minister Rajoy’s government will likely immediately activate the clause stripping Catalonia of its autonomy, calling for an election in
On the contrary, if the answer is `No`, it means that Catalonia’s long-standing efforts to assert its independence will go down the drain, including the results of the referendum on October 1.
In addition, if Mr. Puigdemont confirms that he has not actually declared independence, his party coalition may begin to disintegrate.
Angel Talavera, an analyst at the Oxford School of Economics in London, commented: `Mr. Puigdemont is facing extreme pressure.
Catalonia’s TV3 channel said yesterday that Prime Minister Puigdemont will not give a clear answer `Yes` or `No` to allow more time for the next steps.
The Financial Times news agency said that the current standoff will last from a few days to a week before either side clearly shows a willingness to reconcile.
Minh Phuong
According to Bloomberg, Aljazeera