The Catalonian parliament has voted for independence from Spain, ahead of an expected vote in the Madrid's senate which is expected to result in Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, authorising the seizure of the region’s autonomous powers.
The Catalan vote came at the end of a fraught week of negotiations between Madrid and Barecelona with no accord reached.
Seventy Catalan MPs voted for independence from Spain, with 10 opposed and two blank ballot papers.
Thousands of Catalans watched the vote and the count live, on TV screens mounted outside Catalonia’s parliament, cheering as the result was announced.
The historic vote was on a motion that calls for an independence process to be started, for new founding laws to be passed and the opening of talks with Madrid on an equal footing as two countries independent of each other.
Mariano Rajoy immediately called for calm, adding that the rule of law would be restored in Catalonia. The last time Madrid imposed its rule of law on the break-away region, over 900 people were injured when an illegal October 1st independence vote was interrupted by Guardia Civil and national police attacking the public with riot batons as they tried to access polling stations.
Fernando Martínez-Maíllo, chief spokesman for Rajoy's Popular Party, said Madrid will "proceed in a matter of hours to restore legality in Catalonia with the application of Article 155."
Madrid's Senate is to vote today, Friday October 27th to give Madrid the authority to impose a centrally administered government on Catalonia, a first for Spain whose constitution reads that any regional separation should be decided on by Spain's electorate, not just those in the region under review.
UPDATE
Spain's Senate has voted to approve measures to allow Madrid to intervene in Catalonia's autonomy and remove its government after the region declared unilateral independence earlier this afternoon.
Spanish MPs approved the measures with 214 votes in favour, 47 against and 1 abstention.
