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Possible way out of Catalan crisis hours before government deadline: reports

(Xinhua)    09:23, October 19, 2017

With the clock ticking until the 10 a.m. deadline on Thursday set by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to answer whether or not he declared the independence of the Catalan region on Oct. 10, a possible solution to the apparent stalemate has appeared, according to Spanish media reports.

Rajoy has said unless Puigdemont replies to his question and takes steps to revoke any declaration of independence, he will begin the steps to apply Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution suspending Catalan autonomy and imposing direct rule from Madrid.

However, the El Pais newspaper on Wednesday quotes "government sources" as saying that Rajoy would be willing to not active Article 155 if Puigdemont was willing to call new elections for the Catalan regional government just over two years after the last elections in the region.

This is similar to statements made by Spanish Socialist Party leader, Pedro Sanchez, who commented from Brussels that if Puigdemont called elections, Article 155 would not be applied.

Wednesday began with a Control Session in the Spanish Congress with Rajoy saying "tomorrow (Thursday) ends the time required for Puigdemont. He has the opportunity to make clear whether or not he declared independence", and adding his government had "the obligation to defend the rights of all Spanish people".

These words were backed up by Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, who said that unless Puigdemont attended to the question, "it will mean Article 155 is applied... We will always apply the Spanish Constitution and applying Article 155 is applying the Constitution," she added.

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