The President of the Generalitat (Government) of Catalonia, Artur Mas, today signed a decree calling a non-binding referendum on Catalan independence, to be held on November 9th. The ballot will have two questions. The first one: "Do you want Catalonia to be a State?". And the second one, only to be answered by those saying "yes" to the first one: "Do you want that State to be independent?".

The decree is based on a Law on consultations (as non-binding referendums are called in Catalonia) that the Parliament of Catalonia had passed on September 19th. According to the decree, the non-binding vote is meant to learn what the citizens' opinion is on independence so that the Catalan government can subsequently launch, "with full knowledge of the facts, the legal, political and institutional initiative" with the aim of negotiating the necessary changes at the Spanish level.

The Catalan vote is supported by almost two thirds of MPs in the Parliament of Catalonia. CiU, ERC, ICV-EUiA and CUP parties (87 MPs) are for, while PSC, PP and C's (48 MPs) are against.

Spanish Vice President Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría today insisted that the vote will not be held because, according to the Spanish government's criterion, it is unconstitutional. The Spanish government argues that the vote cannot be held given that it will be asking on national sovereignty, which is a power of the Spanish citizenship as a whole.

Spanish President Mariano Rajoy's government had earlier announced that, as soon as Mas signed the 9-N decree, it would be challenged before the Constitutional Court.

Further information:

• Catalan News Monitor: Catalan government calls independence vote

(Image: the decree, as signed by Artur Mas / picture: Goverment of Catalonia.)