Barcelona, Jan 11 (AFP) Catalonia's parliamentary speakersaid today she would step down as she is investigated forsedition and rebellion over her role in the independencedrive, the latest separatist leader to leave their post.
Speaking to reporters in Barcelona, staunchly pro-independence Carme Forcadell said she would not stay in thepost despite having been offered to do so after regionalelections on December 21 that saw separatist parties retaintheir absolute parliamentary majority.
"I think this new political moment requires a new personwho is, above all else, free of legal proceedings," she said.
Forcadell was a key figure among Catalan leaders whoattempted to break away from Spain, a process that culminatedwith the regional parliament declaring unilateral independenceon October 27.
But this was short-lived as Prime Minister Mariano Rajoyimposed direct rule on the semi-autonomous region, sacked itsgovernment, dissolved its parliament and called snapelections.
Forcadell's decision to step down as parliamentaryspeaker -- she will continue on as lawmaker -- comes just twodays after one of the main candidates to replace her announcedhe was leaving politics.
Carles Mundo, the former regional justice minister, isalso being probed for sedition and rebellion, which couldfetch up to 30 years in jail.
That same day, Artur Mas, who as Catalan president from2010 to 2016 was the instigator of the independence drive,announced he was stepping down as president of his PDeCATparty.
He said he had taken the decision to make way for newpeople and to face the judicial cases against him.
Separatist parties have an absolute majority of 70 seatsout of 135, but eight of their elected officials are either inself-imposed exile in Belgium or in jail in Spain.
They want to elect Carles Puigdemont as president again,but in theory he would need to be present at the officialparliamentary session where the vote takes place.
He is in Belgium, however, and will be arrested if hecomes back to Spain on charges of rebellion and sedition.
Separatist parties insist he be allowed to appear byvideolink or write a speech and have someone else read it inthe session, but the opposition insists that is illegal.
Ultimately, the parliamentary speaker and his or herdeputies have the power to decide.(AFP)AMS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.