The BBC has highlighted the election of Roger Torrent as the new speaker of the Catalan Parliament and the implication that pro-independence parties remain dominant in the Catalan legislature. "Separatist lawmakers secured control of parliament on Wednesday with the election of Mr Torrent," they write. In the opinion of the British broadcaster, this "is the first step to reinstating local government" and they now believe it "likely" Carles Puigdemont will be nominated president.
The BBC notes that pro-independence parties "want Carles Puigdemont to be president again", but warn that, if he returns from exile in Belgium, he runs the risk of being arrested. Nonetheless, they explain it's "likely" that the new Board will "nominate Mr Puigdemont to lead the region, and his supporters say he could potentially do so via video link from Belgium".
They quote one of Puigdemont's spokespeople, Joan Maria Piqué, as saying it's "perfectly plausible for [Puigdemont] to be president remotely" in the 21st Century, pointing to Donald Trump's use of Twitter as high primary means of communication in the United States. The BBC note, however, that "lawyers for the Catalan parliament council, an advisory body" do not support the idea of "a president in exile".
Where we’re at with the #Catalan independence crisis... An update ... pic.twitter.com/DDuAPhy6jf
— Gavin Lee (@GavinLeeBBC) 17 de gener de 2018
