Second attempt to make jailed Catalan activist regional president

AFP  |  Madrid 

A jailed Catalan pro-independence activist was today proposed as the new regional for a second time despite a failed first attempt.

was remanded in custody in October pending charges of sedition over last year's Catalan independence bid.

The of the Catalan parliament, Roger Torrent, tweeted: "I propose the deputy as candidate for the nomination. He is the one who gathers the most support."

A previous attempt to appoint Sanchez as regional failed last month after Spain's turned down a request for him to be released from jail to be sworn in.

This is the fourth time Torrent has proposed a candidate.

Sanchez's name was originally put forward after former Catalan Carles Puigdemont, living in self-imposed exile in and wanted in Spain, dropped his candidacy.

Puigdemont faces arrest if he returns to on charges of sedition, rebellion and misuse of public funds over his role in Catalonia's separatist push.

"It is necessary today to demand that the (Spanish) state changes its attitude. That it guarantees the political rights of our deputy to be He keeps his rights as a deputy and to be (regional) president," said Puigdemont at a conference in today.

On Thursday, a refused Spain's request to extradite Puigdemont on a rebellion charge following his arrest in last month.

He was released on bail pending a hearing on a lesser charge and remains in

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First Published: Sat, April 07 2018. 19:05 IST