Tom PowellMORE than 80% of Catalunyan voters have elected to split from Spain and form an independent state.
Millions of people took part in Sunday’s controversial vote, which was changed from a referendum to an opinion poll following the legal restrictions imposed by the Spanish government.
The non-binding poll had been ruled as illegal by the Spanish courts, but went ahead nonetheless as the campaign for independence in Catalunya gathers momentum.
After 88% of the votes had been counted, results showed around 1.6 million of the 2 million-plus voters wanted independence.
Scuffles broke out across the region as tensions ran high, while large queues formed outside the polling stations.
Prime Minister Rajoy said the vote will have no effect and urged the region to return to ‘sanity’, but Catalan leader Artus Mas has warned against any attempt to disrupt it.
Unrest in Catalunya – a region of more than 7.5 million people – is due to the fact the region contributes more to the Spanish economy than it gets back through central government funds.
Mas said of the government’s attempt to stop the vote: “I don’t know what they will do, it does not depend on us, but if they have a minimum of common sense I think any action out of the ordinary would be a direct attack on democracy and a direct attack on fundamental rights.”
Rajoy, however, is demanding that the region take part in talks ‘within the legal framework of the constitution’, adding that the vote would be ‘neither a referendum nor a consultation nor anything of the sort’.
He said: “What is certain is that it will not have any effect.”
This article forgets to mention, that turnout barely reached 33%, and out of them 80% voted yes. So basically 25% of the catalans want independence, maybe someone should care about remaining 75% s wishes
Dear Mark,
You’re wrong.. 1.800.000 wants independence
400.000 no.
The other Catalans just didn’t vote!
I european elections only 1.000.000 voted.. what can we say about that?
For a fairly ad hoc arrangement, hassled by Rajoy and his gang,voting on the fly with no proper facilities, this result is stupendous. No one would raise an eyebrow if a government won a general election with such a turnout.
Just because someone didn’t vote doesn’t mean they disagree with the outcome. If someone is dead against something they will make great efforts to say so. Of those who turned out, very few voted against the motion.
Your math proves nothing Mark IV.
Roby,
U gotta check ur facts buddy.
They are 6.6 million people in a voting age in catalunya. As they even allowed teenagers 16-18 to vote. So out of 6.6 million voters, 1.8 million went to vote. So out of 6.6m 1.4m wanted independence, giving out a figure of 21%.
Regards
Either way. Spains time is over, party over……Catalunya forever….no going back now.
Esapaña FUERA!
Well, only two million voted. That’s a lot of people. Of them, 4% voted against and the rest voted – one way or another – for.
So, out of 6.6 million people, around 1.5% were interested enough to vote ‘no’. We should listen to them, hey Mark?
In other news, Spain wasn’t the least bit interested when Gibraltar voted either…
United Spain forever!
I feel I should point out that 80% of VOTERS were in favour of independence for Cataluña….Only 40% of those who could vote did so. So that means that roughly 32% of Catalans have expressed a desire for independence….leaving around 68% who have not said what they want.
Santia: Did you actually read the previous posts before writing your completely surplus one?