SPANISH GOVERNMENT “DISMANTLING” CATALAN SECESSION VOTE’S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS: That’s what Fox News reported within the last 90 minutes. Spanish authorities had threatened to do this. They seized paper ballots earlier this week.
Authorities have already confiscated 10 million paper ballots in the last few days — which will make it much more difficult for Catalan officials to carry out an effective vote.
MORE:
The Catalan government has pledged to declare independence from Spain within 48 hours of Sunday’s vote if the `yes’ side wins, no matter what the turnout is.
Is the vote illegal? I think so.
The Catalan regional government of Carles Puigdemont is preparing to hold a unilateral referendum on seceding from Spain on October 1st, which it says will be legally binding. Catalans will be asked whether they want to form an independent republic. But there is a problem: Spain’s democratic constitution of 1978, which was approved by more than 90% of Catalan voters, gave wide autonomy to the regions but affirmed “the indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation”. Only the Spanish parliament can change the constitution. Mr Puigdemont’s referendum is therefore illegal, and Mariano Rajoy, Spain’s conservative prime minister, is determined to prevent it taking place.
(If you’re blocked by The Economist paywall the quote contains the gist.)
I’ve previously linked to this column I wrote on Catalan and Kurdish secession referendums. Though it was published last Tuesday evening when the Kurdish vote wasn’t official, it adds some perspective.