Spanish deputy PM says still 'a chance' to avoid article 155

Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said on Monday that there was still "a chance" for Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to avoid Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution being applied to his region.

The Spanish government on Saturday agreed to apply the article to suspend regional control of key Catalan institutions, such as the treasury, police, and regional TV network TV3, giving the control to Madrid as well as sacking Puigdemont and his government, in the wake of the October 1 independence referendum in the area.

This will be ratified by the senate, (where the ruling People's Party has a comfortable majority), on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

But Saenz de Santamaria said article 155 could still be avoided if Puigdemont "went to the senate to make the declarations which he believes to be opportune."

She said that the senate "has the capacity" to adapt to circumstances and "modify the measures until the last moment," but added that there has been no contact between the central government in Madrid and the Catalan regional government in the wake of the approval of article 155.

Sources from the Catalan authority have ruled out calling a snap regional election as a way of stopping article 155.

--IANS

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