Free Republic

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -- Voters in Spain's Catalonia region cast ballots Sunday to decide if pro-secession parties will get a majority in the regional parliament and a mandate to push for independence or whether they will fall short in an outcome that would probably quell secessionist fervor for years. Secessionists have long pushed for an independence referendum, but Spain's central government refused to allow it - saying such a vote would be unconstitutional. So the pro-independence parties pitched the vote for regional parliamentary seats as a de facto plebiscite. "Today is a great win for democracy in Catalonia," said Artur...

Catalonia is voting in regional elections that nationalist parties hope will set them on the road to independence from Spain. Two separatist parties have joined forces, and are aiming to secure a majority of seats in parliament - 68 out of 135. They say this would allow them to unilaterally declare independence within 18 months. The central government in Madrid has pledged to block such moves in court. Polls suggest a majority of Catalans favour a referendum on independence but are evenly divided over whether they want to secede.