Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Seán Crowe TD, has reiterated his support for the right of Catalan people to democratically decide their own future.

Crowe was reacting to a Catalan Parliament vote in support of a pro-independence proposal presented by the cross-party list ‘Junts Pel Sí’ (Together for Yes) and the CUP party which outlines a road map to independence.

Deputy Crowe said:

“I want to congratulate the Catalan pro-independence parties after their proposal to trigger a mechanism for an independence process was passed by the Catalan Parliament.

“62 MPs from ‘Junts Pel Sï’ and 10 MPs from CUP, which represents 72 of the 135 seats in the Catalan Parliament, voted in favour of this historic proposal in an extraordinary plenary session.

“The declaration sets out the key points and the countdown schedule to commence ‘the disconnection process’ from Spain and begin to build a new independent State, which will be formally established in 2017.

“The Spanish Government has refused to negotiate with the Catalan Government and allow citizens in Catalonia to have a referendum on independence. It is clearly in denial and is legally challenging the entire Catalan independence process.

“The elections on the 27th September 2015, which elected MPs to the Catalan Parliament, became a plebiscite on independence, with the pro-independence parties winning a majority.

“The Spanish Government needs to drop its legal challenge, respect the democratic mandate of the Catalan parliament or allow the Catalan people the right to democratically decide their own future in an open, democratic, and transparent referendum.”

ENDS