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Catalonia referendum: Pro-unity rallies underway in Spain | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Pro-unity rallies are underway in the Spanish capital after Sunday's disputed referendum for Catalan independence. | |
Tens of thousands have protested in Madrid, while other demonstrations have been held in the Catalan city of Barcelona urging political dialogue. | |
Campaigners gathered with signs saying "Spain is better than its leaders" and "let's talk". | |
Businesses have continued to announce their departure from the Catalan region amid the ongoing political uncertainty. | |
The Caixa Foundation, which controls one of the Spain's largest banks, announced it was moving its headquarters to Palma de Mallorca while the crisis continues. | |
The country is waiting for a speech on Tuesday by Catalan President Carles Puigdemont amid speculation he will declare independence. | |
The final results showed 90% of the 2.3 million people who voted backed independence. Turnout was 43%. | |
What are the latest developments? | |
Spain's government representative in Catalonia apologised on Friday to people hurt during police efforts to stop the referendum, but blamed the Catalan government for holding an illegal vote. | |
Enric Millo said he could not help but "regret it and apologise on behalf of the officers that intervened". | |
Nearly 900 people were injured as police, trying to enforce a Spanish court ban on the vote, attempted to seize ballot boxes and disperse voters. Thirty-three police officers were also hurt. | |
The Spanish government's official spokesperson, Iñigo Méndez de Vigo, also apologised for the police violence and suggested that new elections in Catalonia might be a way to heal the fracture caused by the disputed referendum. | |
Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is expected to address the Catalan parliament on Tuesday at 18:00 local time (16:00 GMT) after Spain's Constitutional Court earlier suspended the Catalan parliament session that had been planned for Monday. | |
There is speculation that the parliament will declare independence unilaterally at its next sitting. | |
There have been several claims of irregularities, and many ballot boxes were seized by the Spanish police. | There have been several claims of irregularities, and many ballot boxes were seized by the Spanish police. |
Meanwhile, the former leader of Catalonia, Artur Mas, told the Financial Times newspaper that the region was not yet ready for real independence - even though he believed it had won the right to break away. | |
Stepping back from the brink? | Stepping back from the brink? |
By BBC's James Reynolds, Alicante | By BBC's James Reynolds, Alicante |
The competing authorities in Barcelona and Madrid could each take a potentially dramatic step. | |
Barcelona has the option of making a unilateral declaration of independence. For its part, Madrid has the power to dissolve self-rule in Catalonia. Each step - if taken - would provoke a constitutional crisis in Spain. | |
There are some signs that each side may choose to pause. Mr Puigdemont says he will deliver a report to the Catalan parliament on Tuesday about the political situation - a deliberately vague form of words which gives him room for manoeuvre. | There are some signs that each side may choose to pause. Mr Puigdemont says he will deliver a report to the Catalan parliament on Tuesday about the political situation - a deliberately vague form of words which gives him room for manoeuvre. |
More on the Catalan crisis | More on the Catalan crisis |
In other developments: | In other developments: |