Court indicts Catalan separatist leader Mas

The Supreme Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) indicted Mas on Tuesday, just two days after his separatist "Together for Yes" alliance managed to win the largest number of seats in a regional election.

The court summoned Catalonia's president to face possible charges over the ballot on independence from Spain.

Mas is accused of grave civil disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement of public funds used to hold the plebiscite, in defiance of an injunction by Spain's Constitutional Court. He is also alleged to have usurped powers and obstructed justice.

If found guilty, the 59-year-old politician could face a period of being barred from public office, or even up to one year in jail.

Also facing prosecution are former Vice President Joana Ortega and the Catalan politician Irene Rigau, for their roles in organizing the non-binding ballot.

'A quirk and anomaly'

The Catalan regional government denounced the charges as politically motivated. "We are faced with quirks and a democratic anomaly concerning the prosecutors and the Spanish government in order to prosecute the person who on November 9, 2014, set up the ballots so the citizens of Catalonia could express themselves," said spokeswoman Neus Munte.

Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has insisted he will not negotiate on demands for independence, but will hold talks on a range of issues provided that they lie within the law.

Nearly 2.3 million of Catalonia's 5.5 million voters took part in the November 9, 2014 "referendum," with some 1.9 million voting for independence.

A makeshift secession vote

In light of the the symbolic vote, Mas had said Sunday's elections for the Catalan regional parliament, the Generalitat, should be viewed as an alternative referendum.

The "Together for Yes" alliance won 62 seats in Catalonia's 135-member parliament on Sunday - six short of a majority.

Having fallen short of a majority, Mas must now seek support from the parliament as a whole. The radical anti-capitalist pro-independence group CUP with 10 seats has said it will support the alliance, but will not help Mas to become regional president.

Mas had promised to begin a secession process if they had achieved a majority, but pro-separatist parties fell short of that, clinching only 48 percent of the popular vote.

The new members of the Generalitat are to take their seats by October 26 and elect a new regional president by November 9.

rc/kms (AFP, Reuters, dpa, EFE)