Ex-Catalonia leader turns himself in to Belgian police

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Ex-Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has turned himself in to Belgian police, Belgian public broadcaster VRT said on Sunday, citing a source.

Puigdemont fled to Belgium after Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia following the October 1 independence referendum.

Four former Catalan ministers who arrived with Puigdemont in Brussels also turned themselves in to police, VRT reported.

"They were deprived of their liberty at 9:17 am (0817 GMT)," the Belgian prosecutor's office said.

Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is interviewed on Belgian RTBF television in Brussels, Belgium, November 3, 2017. /Reuters Photo

Puigdemont's move comes two days after a Spanish judge issued an EU warrant for his arrest on Friday.

The five were due to appear later on Sunday before a judge who will decide whether to detain them or release them with conditions.

"The judge will hear the people this afternoon. He has until tomorrow morning to decide," prosecutor spokesman Gilles Dejemeppe said, without naming the people.

If the judge decides to issue an arrest warrant on the basis of the Spanish request, the case then goes to a court which must decide within 15 days whether to execute the order.

Puigdemont can appeal at various stages of the proceedings, a process which can take many weeks.

Winning seats in the upcoming election

On Sunday, two polls suggested pro-Catalonia independence parties will together take the most seats in December's regional election, although they may fall just short of a majority needed to revive the secession campaign. Parties supporting Catalonia remaining part of Spain would divide seats but garner around 54 percent of the vote, the polls suggested.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called the December 21 election after firing the previous government and imposing direct rule over the autonomous region following a unilateral declaration of independence by Catalan lawmakers on October 27.

Pro-Catalan independence demonstrators stage a protests rally near the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, November 3, 2017. /Reuters Photo

According to a GAD3 survey of 1,233 people conducted between October 30 and November 3 and published in La Vanguardia newspaper, pro-independence parties ERC, PDECat and CUP would take between 66 and 69 seats in the 135-seat parliament.

A second poll taken over the same period for the conservative newspaper La Razon echoed the GAD3 survey, showing pro-independence parties would capture the most votes though still fall just shy of a parliamentary majority with 65 seats.

Other seats would be generally divided between parties supporting the region continuing to be part of Spain, but the parties are not allied.

Voter participation, however, will rise to a record of 83 percent, the GAD3 poll showed.

Catalonia's statehood push has tipped Spain into its worst political crisis since its return to democracy four decades ago as surging pro-secession sentiment in the region has in turn kindled nationalism across the country.

Politicians on remand

Puigdemont traveled to Belgium shortly after Madrid took control and now faces charges for rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds, disobedience and breach of trust relating to the secessionist campaign.

On Saturday, Puigdemont – who PDECat said on Sunday would lead the party in the election – called for a united Catalan political front in the face of the elections.

On Thursday, nine members of his sacked cabinet were ordered by Spain's High Court to be held on remand pending an investigation and potential trial.

One member of the dismissed cabinet, Santi Vila, was freed after paying bail of 50,000 euros ($58,035) on Friday. The other eight could remain in custody for up to four years.

Former Catalan government cabinet member Santi Vila (3rd L) walks out of prison after being released on bail in Estremera, Spain, November 3, 2017. /Reuters Photo

According to the GAP3 survey, 59 percent believed legal action against Puigdemont was unjustified while 69.3 percent said that the jailing of the Catalan politicians would give the independence cause a boost at the ballot box.

Catalan civic groups Asamblea Nacional Catalana and Omnium Cultural – whose leaders were imprisoned last month on sedition charges – called for a general strike on Nov. 8 and a mass demonstration on Nov. 11 to protest the detentions.

A rally in Barcelona on Sunday, however, attracted just a few hundred people, a long way from the hundreds of thousands to join pro-independence marches in October, many waving the regional flag and carrying protest signs.

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters