Pro-independence alliance Together for Yes (JxSí) and CUP are set to start negotiations over the formation of a new Catalan government, two days after a historic election left an absolute majority of secessionist MPs (72 out of 135) in the Parliament of Catalonia. Both parties say a "clear mandate" exists to start the road towards Catalan statehood, but by the moment they do not agree on whom should be the next president.

JxSí (62 seats) says Catalan President Artur Mas (CDC, liberal, one of the parties making up the alliance) should be given another term in office. But CUP (10 seats, democratic socialist) argues Mas is not a consensus leader, and holds that another MP should be found to replace him. Besides CDC, JxSí includes two social democrat parties (ERC and MES) and one christian democrat party (DC), as well as independents.

Both JxSí and CUP say the person who will be leading the government should not be the main problem to discuss, and argue that the process towards a Catalan state is more important instead.

JxSí's plan for independence

According to JxSí's roadmap, the Catalan Parliament should issue a "declaration on the opening of the process towards independence" as soon as possible -could be in November. After this, the Catalan government will be allowed to end preparations for the so-called "state structures," which include a Catalan tax agency, the social security, the judiciary, telecommunications, energy and water agencies, and foreign relations, according to government advisory body CATN. In parallel to this, a constitutional process will be launched so that citizens and civil society groups can put forward a Catalan Constitution draft.

Only when that phase is completed will the Catalan Parliament declare independence. The Catalan president will then call a constituent assembly election which take up the citizen's draft and complete it with a final proposal. That text will then be submitted to referendum.

As per the JxSí's manifesto, this process could be stopped if the Spanish government agreed to hold a binding referendum on independence.

CUP: no UDI immediately

Even if CUP included an immediate unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) after the Sep 27 election in its manifesto, party leader Antonio Baños admitted this was no longer the goal, as pro-indy parties did not secure 50% of the votes (they obtained a combined 47.7%). Baños said CUP will be seeking a UDI later on, but did not elaborate on when and how.

Instead, Baños says an "explicit mandate" exists to start the process to "build the Catalan Republic." Besides JxSí and CUP, another political alliance (Catalonia Yes We Can, CSQEP, leftist) included in its election manifesto a commitment to launch a "bottom-up constituent process." CSQEP got 11 seats and 9% of the votes. So this means the parties in favour of a Catalan constituent process received a combined 57% of the votes and hold 83 seats.

Even though, CSQEP leader Lluís Rabell says his alliance will not be supporting JxSí as long as CDC party remains in government. It is unclear whether CSQEP could eventually accept to involve itself in a Catalan constituent process that has not been agreed with Spain.

Unionist parties, Spanish president: stop independence process now

The other three parties in the Catalan Parliament (C's, PP and PSC, a combined 39,1% of the votes and 52 seats) oppose any unilateral move towards independence and urge JxSí and CUP to stop their plans to launch the process towards Catalan statehood.

Spanish President Mariano Rajoy yesterday said he will never enter any negotiation in which "Spain's unity" and "national sovereignty" are discussed. Rajoy instead proposed a "dialogue" within the framework of Spain's current laws and institutions.

Rajoy's PP rejects to amend the Spanish Constitution in order to better accommodate Catalonia's will of further self-government. Main opposition party PSOE also rejects Catalan independence, but argues the Constitution should be amended in order to turn Spain into a federal country.

(Image: Artur Mas (left), Antonio Baños (right).)