‘Separatists winning Catalonia vote’

Early results in Catalonian parliamentary elections suggest that the region may be on the road to independence from Spain as Catalans voted massively for forces promising a referendum on self-rule.

According to AFP, on Sunday, partial election results released by the regional government showed that four separatist parties in the region looked set to win a majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament, AFP reported.
With 95 percent of votes counted, the ruling Convergence and Union Alliance (CiU) has won most of the ballots so far, taking 50 seats in the local parliament. The separatist Republican Left (ERC) came second with 21 seats. Two smaller parties that also back a referendum secured at a total of 15 seats, giving the four parties 60 percent between them.
Regional President Artur Mas, of CiU, had pledged to call a referendum on Catalan independence if returned to office. He made the pledge in response to a resurgent separatist movement among Catalans who are frustrated with Spain in a deep economic crisis.
Growing Catalan separatism is a huge challenge for Spain’s conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who is trying to avoid getting bailed out by its EU neighbors.