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View all search resultsCatalonia holds informal vote on secession
Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia opened polling stations on Sunday to hold an informal vote on independence that the central government has called illegal
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pain's northeastern region of Catalonia opened polling stations on Sunday to hold an informal vote on independence that the central government has called illegal.
The regional Catalan government pushed forward with the vote despite Spain's Constitutional Court ordering its suspension on Tuesday after it agreed to hear the Spanish government's challenge that the poll is unconstitutional.
Polling stations will be manned by more than 40,000 volunteers in defiance of the court's suspension. Results aren't expected until Monday morning.
The ballot asks voters two questions: should Catalonia be a state, and if so, should it be independent.
Catalonia, with around 7.5 million inhabitants and Barcelona as its capital, is one of Spain's wealthiest regions.
Catalonia's push for independence comes two months after Scottish voters voted to remain in the United Kingdom.
Catalan president Artur Mas has said the vote is only symbolic and will likely lead to anticipated regional elections that will stand-in for a referendum on independence.
There was a festive atmosphere as hundreds lined up in front of a school in Barcelona, with some wearing pro-independence regalia.
"I voted for independence because I've always felt very Catalan," said Nuria Silvestre, a 44-year-old teacher. "Maybe I wasn't so radical before, but the fact that they are prohibiting (the vote) from Madrid has made me."
Catalan television showed similar lines of voters across the region.
Spanish state prosecutors announced late Saturday that they were opening an investigation to determine if by holding the informal vote in defiance of the court's suspension the Catalan government has broken the law.
Catalonia has seen rallies of hundreds of thousands of pro-independence supporters for the past three years, after Spain's economic downturn and the Spanish government's repeated denial to grant Catalonia control over its financial future. (**)
