Ex-Catalan leader Puigdemont abandons bid to reclaim power

One of Catalonia's former leaders Carles Puigdemont on Friday withdrew himself from a bid for a second term in the Spanish legislative assembly.

"I will not put myself forward as candidate to be appointed regional president," Puigdemont, who is in self-exile in Belgium and wanted in Spain for his role in the failed secession bid, said in a video posted on social media.

Carles Puigdemont went into exile after he and his administrations were sacked by the Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

Puigdemont later spearheaded the Spanish northeastern region's secessionist movement, which is now left in a lurch as he has declared to quit from the campaign.

Puigdemont had earlier campaigned in December 2017 to be reinstated as a regional leader and was supported by various independent political groups, which demanded Puigdemont to govern remotely.

In a 13-minute video, he further proposed the name of pro-independence campaigner Jordi Sanchez to take forward the campaign for pro-succession.

Jordi Sanchez is currently in a Madrid prison on the charges of sedition.

Puigdemont has been facing charges of sedition and rebellion in Spain and is likely to be arrested if he returns. Catalan parliamentary legal experts and the Spanish government as well rejected the notion of him governing from Brussels.

Catalonia is being ruled directly from Madrid ever since Mariano Rajoy invoked the constitutional powers to take over the government in the region.