The Spanish Council of Ministers has designed measures that will ensure that Catalonia’s self-government operates in accordance with principles that will help preserve and protect Catalonia’s autonomy.
Marcelino Ansorena, the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria said in a statement, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Ansorena said that the measures were part of resolutions reached by the Council of Ministers in a meeting held in Spain on Monday.
Ansorena said that the President of the regional government of Catalonia had not clarified whether the independence of Catalonia had been declared.
He said that the president had also not accepted to put an end to his actions against the legality established in the Spanish Constitution and in Catalonia’s Statute of Autonomy.
“The formal request sent to the President of the regional government of Catalonia, in application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution has not been met.
“Therefore, the Council of Ministers has decided to move forward and propose to the Senate that a series of measures be adopted to guarantee compliance with constitutional obligations and the protection of the general interest.’’
The ambassador said that it was important to have a set of measures that could be effective in attaining specific goals for Catalonia.
“It is necessary to respond with a set of measures to the grievous actions of the leaders of Catalonia.
“The measures will be proportional to the actions undertaken within the secessionist process, and will be temporary, limited to a specific timeframe.
“The purpose of these measures is to ensure that self-government operates in accordance with the principles and rules it is charged with respecting in the Spanish Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia.
“These measures also aim to protect rights without restricting freedoms with four key goals.
“These are restoring constitutional and statutory legality, ensuring institutional neutrality, maintaining public services and economic growth, and defending the rights and freedoms of all of the people of Catalonia.
“To preserve this self-government is to protect Catalonia’s autonomy,’’ he said.
Ansorena noted that the proposed measures had been compiled and had been submitted to the Spanish Senate for approval.
The proposed measures he said include: “the President of the Government of Spain shall have the power to order the early dissolution of the Catalan regional Parliament, and accordingly to call regional elections which must be exercised within a period of six months’’.
“The General administration shall act in accordance with the instructions of the bodies and authorities that the Government of Spain appoints or creates for said purpose.
“This measure shall apply to: all acts, resolutions and other provisions; appointing, removing or disciplining personnel, as well as to official publications.
“Within this framework, a set of special measures shall be established taking into account the sensitive nature of certain matters such as: security public order, economic management, financial, telecommunications, fiscal and budgetary matters.’’
“The Parliament of Catalonia shall continue to perform its representative duties. However, a number of measures shall be established to ensure that it does so with the utmost respect for the Spanish Constitution and for Catalonia’s Statute of Autonomy.
“The measures proposed by the Spanish Government shall remain in place and shall apply until a new executive has assumed office, following the elections called for this purpose.’’ (NAN)
