Court ratifies codena against Quim Torra
(CNN Spanish) -
After having notified the procedural representation of Quim Torra about the decision to disqualify him from holding public office, the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJCAT) issued a ruling this Monday to make the disqualification effective.
In this way, Quim Torra is stripped of his responsibilities as president of the Generalitat of Catalonia during the period established by the sentence.
However, there is still room for an appeal against the resolution within three days of its notification, although this does not suspend the effectiveness of the sentence.
His defense is expected to make use of this judicial tool, after they affirmed that they will exhaust all the possibilities at their disposal, including European bodies, such as the Strasbourg Court.
"Some judges, and not the people of Catalonia represented in Parliament, have decided that I cannot be the president of Catalonia," Torra sentenced in a televised statement made this Monday after learning of his disqualification.
“I want to convey to you that no law that is unjust or applied for the purpose of revenge against those who defend human and universal rights should never be able to defeat democracy.
I assure you that the irregularities committed to overthrow the president will have their trial in Europe, which is the only place where Catalan independentists can find justice today, ”added Torra.
Who assumes for Torra
After the disqualification of Torra, it will be Vice President Pere Aragonès who will assume the temporary replacement of the presidency, as established by the Law of the Presidency of the Generalitat, which is the autonomous Government of Catalonia.
However, this substitute will be limited in its functions, since, according to these regulations, it will not be allowed to “exercise the powers of the position related to raising a question of trust, the appointment and removal of directors or the early dissolution of the legislature ”.
In addition, the president of the regional parliament has a maximum period of ten days to initiate consultations with the representatives of the political parties and groups with parliamentary representation, with the aim of proposing a candidate for the presidency of the Generalitat.
If there is not one, the calendar will be activated as if it were a failed investiture, in which, two months later, the courts will be dissolved automatically and elections will be called.
In case of reaching this point, the elections must take place between forty and sixty days after the call.
The Supreme Court of Justice of Spain found Torra guilty of a crime of disobedience.
The ruling, announced by the Supreme Court, fully ratifies the ruling in the first instance of the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJCAT), which on December 19 condemned him for ignoring the order of the Central Electoral Board (JEC) given in March of 2019, in the middle of the election period, to remove the symbols related to the independence movement that were displayed in public buildings under the responsibility of the Generalitat of Catalonia.
According to the ruling issued by the Supreme Court, Torra "stubbornly and obstinately" disobeyed the JEC in an electoral process where the neutrality of public administrations should prevail.
Although the defense of the regional president alleged on several occasions that his freedom of expression was being violated by his public demonstrations, the high court defended that this was not the object of the process, but rather to have disobeyed the mandate of a “constitutional body [ …] Vested with authority and issued in accordance with the law ”.
Quim Torra
