The Spanish government is encouraging Catalonia’s sacked leader Carles Puigdemont to take part in elections it has called there in December.<br /><br />Puigdemont has called for democratic opposition to the direct rule imposed in Catalonia following Friday’s unilateral declaration of independence.<br /><br />Madrid says he should take his message to the polls.<br /><br />“He has no power, no competencies and no financial means so I insist that if he wants to continue in politics, which is his right, I think he should prepare for the next elections to be held as I said before on the 21st of December and there he can exercise this democratic opposition,” said Spanish government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo.<br /><br />Catalan separatist leader urges ‘democratic opposition’ to Madrid takeover https://t.co/s78KYC35lr pic.twitter.com/eP1oERS1WM— The Local Spain (@TheLocalSpain) 28 octobre 2017<br /><br />Until the elections, Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría has been put in charge of Catalonia according to an official state bulletin.<br /><br />Under constitional powers, the government of the autonomous region has been dismissed. its parliament dissolved, and the president of the assembly stripped of all but symbolic powers.<br /><br />Friday’s announcement in parliament of a unilateral split from Spain could see Puigdemont facing prosecution in the courts. <br /><br />While separatists are still celebrating the declaration, supporters of Spanish unity have been taking to the streets – on Saturday in Madrid and on Sunday in Barcelona.<br /><br />For while this month’s referendum endorsed independence, turnout was just 43 percent and those against a breakaway largely stayed at home.<br /><br />with Reuters<br />
