The Catalan Parliament has this Tuesday ratified president Quim Torra maintaining his seat in the chamber, despite the decision to the contrary from Spain's Central Electoral Commission. It has submitted an appeal to the Supreme Court. The Parliament's governing Bureau reached the decision by a wide majority in a marathon meeting today; the pro-independence groups were supported by PSC and, although they have no seat on the Bureau, En Comú.
The support for Torra came in two parts. Firstly, the members rejected petitions from Cs and PP calling for him to be stripped of his seat in the Parliament and for a round of talks to elect a new president. Secondly, they voted in favour of filing the appeal with the Supreme Court.
The Bureau, which governs the running of the Catalan chamber, had previously received a report from the body's lawyers supporting him remaining in the Parliament and as president. The lawyers argue that "the Electoral Commission isn't competent to agree on his removal from office" and that the "status of deputy isn't necessary to keep that of president of Catalonia".
PSC defended their decision by saying that taking a decision as "important" as removing a president from the Parliament requires "prudence" and that first they want to let the Supreme Court hear the case. PP said it was because they "are tied by hands and feet" to the agreement with ERC in Madrid which enabled Pedro Sánchez to be invested president.
Cs, for their part, have decided to call a meeting of party leaders to decide on next steps; party sources don't count out taking legal action against the Bureau.