Catalonia: Another undemocratic outrage of the '78 regime
The TS's disqualification of President Quim Torra is a new political revenge against the Catalan people to which we cannot respond with half measures.
Unanimously, the Supreme Court (TS) has ratified the judgment of the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia confirming the sentence of a year and a half of disqualification from public office and a fine of 30.000 euros to the currentPresident fromCatalonia, Quim Torra (JxCat). He was accused of the crime of disobedience to the Central Electoral Board for not withdrawing from the balcony of theGovernment a banner with the motto"Freedom of political prisoners and exiles" with a yellow bow, during the electoral period of April 2019. In the considerations of the ruling, the magistrates say that"They did not violate the rights to ideological freedom and freedom of expression of Torra, who have defended the"Free suffrage" and that the penalty is"proportional".
Actually, we are in the presence of a new political outrage, disguised with legal arguments, as a continuation of the revenge of the powers of the Spanish State against the Catalan claim for self-determination. At the request of the Prosecutor's Office, the"Justice" has placed the JEC as a higher body than the regional executive, transforming into a crime the simple act of displaying a banner without party identification, what, Besides, then it was replaced by a different one. The resolution violates freedom of expression and, far from defending the holding of transparent elections, he tramples them, since Torra was elected by theParliament, according to the mechanisms based on popular vote. The only penalty is"proportional" with the systematic attack by the regime from the 1-O Referendum onwards.
It is not a"Disqualification" but of a dismissal by which Torra will not reach the end of his mandate, as neither could Carles Puigdemont (JxCat), exiled in Belgium as of the application of article 155 by the government of Mariano Rajoy (PP). It must be remembered that it is the same justice as: blocked Jordi Sánchez and Jordi Turull from being inducted, imprisoned the leaders of the"Process" with a sham trial, prevented them from benefiting from the third degree prison and criminally persecuted hundreds of activists. It is not just a"Catalan problem", since the same institutionality that legislated on the Gag Law intervenes, that he did nothing before the flight of the emeritus Juan Carlos I denounced for corruption and that he does not punish the political leaders of power when the"Sewers of the State".
Pointing out these issues and rejecting anti-democratic attacks does not imply political support for the joint JxCat-PdeCat management- ERC that acts from theGovernand theParliament. At different times, have yielded to the promises of concord made by the"Progressive coalition"PSOE-UP, which are actually maneuvers to try to appease the spirits, get them to support your budget and implement a"Dialogue table" bounded, within the framework of a restrained autonomy. You cannot have expectations of the Catalan bourgeois government that prioritizes business interests over public health and education in the midst of a pandemic and that appeals to theMossos de Esquadra to suppress the struggles. We only place confidence in the mobilized Catalan workers and people.
We reject the resolution of disqualification of the Supreme Court and we continue to demand the amnesty of the political prisoners and exiles. We do it by calling for unity of action, as it was expressed today in the demonstrations that were replicated throughout Catalonia and in which we participated. Torra has prepared his departure by making a JxCat-ERC pact to shield the Govern, what "It intensifies the coordination mechanisms and defines the representativeness of Vice President Pere Aragonés as a substitute ..." placing the next electoral call based on the evolution of the pandemic, between 31 January and 7 February. Beyond the tangled agreed scaffolding and even the requirement to implement a "Consensual referendum", the fundamentals to advance towards the Catalan Republic, will be the permanent mobilizations, civil disobedience, the general strike and popular self-organization. To take this course, it is necessary to build a new political alternative from below, a radical left front that consequently confront the governments and parties of the regime, to the right and to the extreme right, fighting for the democratic and social rights that are needed.
It is essential to fight for immediate claims, but with this it will not reach, transitional proposals must be made to address underlying problems. The monarchical-parliamentary regime shaped by Francoism, cannot provide progressive answers for the large majorities, is anachronistic and preserves the worst vices of the old politics. Against those who do not want to touch the Constitution or who hint at the possibility of making specific changes, we believe that a constituent process is needed, based on mobilization and popular struggle, where you can discuss and decide on substantive changes, towards a government of the workers and the people, with a model of socialism with democracy.
