Catalonia elections close, counting underway

ANI  |  Madrid [Spain] 

Counting is underway for the regional elections called by following the controversial independence referendum.

The snap vote has pitted pro-independence parties against those who want to remain a semi-autonomous region of Spain, reported.

Long queues formed outside voting stations in the affluent region of northeastern

None of the six parties in the Catalan reportedly would achieve the 68-seat majority, polls released ahead of the stated.

In late October, Spanish called for the polls when the country took control of and sacked its

This came hours after the voted to declare independence from and proclaimed to be a republic.

This major development came just weeks after the Catalan independence referendum of 2017, which was declared illegal, where, 92 percent of people voted backing independence.

The Catalan had said that it earned the right to split from Spain, claiming 90 percent of those who voted in referendum were in favour of independence.

Before Madrid's imposition of direct rule over it, enjoyed wide autonomy, including control over its own policing, education and healthcare.

Catalan nationalists have always argued that the region is a separate nation with its own history, culture and language, and that it should have increased fiscal independence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Fri, December 22 2017. 03:35 IST