Catalan leader stalls on independence drive

Madrid yesterday gave Catalonia's separatist leader three more days to "return to legality" after he refused to say whether he would follow through on a threat to declare independence from Spain.

Responding to an initial deadline set by the central government, Carles Puigdemont sent a letter early yesterday calling for talks with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy "as soon as possible" amid Spain's worst political crisis in decades.

But he stopped short of giving a definitive "yes or no" as demanded by Madrid after his ambiguous independence speech last week, and Spain gave him until Thursday morning to clarify.

Anything less than a full climb-down by Thursday's 10:00 am (0800 GMT) deadline is likely to prompt moves by Madrid to impose direct control over the semi-autonomous region.

"The government regrets that the president of the Catalan government has decided not to respond to the request made by the government," Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria told a news conference.

"All we are asking for is clarity."

In yesterday's letter addressed to the premier, Puigdemont wrote: "For the next two months, our main objective is to bring you to dialogue."

In a written response, Rajoy said it was "absolutely necessary" that Catalonia clarify its position.

"I hope that in the hours that remain until the second deadline... you reply with all the clarity which citizens demand and the law requires," Rajoy said, calling on the Catalan separatists to "return to legality".

European Union officials are keeping a close eye on developments amid fears that Catalan independence could put further strain on the bloc as it grapples with Britain's shock decision to leave.

Puigdemont had told regional lawmakers last week he was ready for Catalonia to "become an independent state" following a secession referendum on October 1 that went ahead despite a court ban.

Source: AFP