Catalan Parliament to Decide on Unilateral Independence Declaration

Ninety percent of more than 2.26 million participants of the referendum in Catalonia voted in favor of region's independence. Catalonia's leader Carles Puigdemont pledged to declare independence unilaterally as the breakaway region has won the "right to statehood".

The Catalan parliament will decide on proclamation of region's independence following the referendum held on Sunday, Catalan Government spokesperson Jordi Turull said Monday.
"We will take these results to the society and to the parliament of Catalonia and it is up to the parliament of Catalonia to take this decision indeed," Turull told reporters when asked if the Catalan parliament would proceed to unilaterally declare independence.
On Sunday, Catalonia's President Carles Puigdemont said the results of the independence vote would be passed to the Catalan parliament for further procedures in accordance with the referendum legislation.
On September 6, the parliament of Catalonia approved the law on holding the referendum, with the support of only two parties. Together for Yes coalition and the Popular Unity Candidacy, with 71 votes out of 135, while the members of other parties left the session in protest. Spain's Constitutional Court has taken the complaint by the Spanish federal government under review, which meant that the law on referendum and the one on transitional period, adopted later, were suspended, but this has not deterred the referendum supporters.

The transition law will come into force the next day after people in the wealthy region in Spain's northeast voted in favor of leaving. It will stay in force for about six months to allow for a new parliament to take over. The legislature will then draft the constitution of an independent Catalonia.
On Sunday, a number of polling stations opened across Catalonia over the referendum on the independence from Spain. The Spanish government considered the vote illegal and took measures to foil the referendum, including closure of the polling stations and infrastructure facilities for support of the voting and results count. However, Catalan authorities said that 96 percent of polling stations were available for casting votes.