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More obstacles to Carles Puigdemont's investiture as president of Catalonia. Shortly after the Spanish Constitutional Court today announced it would consider a challenge to a plan to invest him in January which was eventually postponed, the Council of Statutory Guarantees of Catalonia has published a ruling attacking the proposal to modify the laws surrounding the presidency to allow an investiture without the candidate physically present.

The opinion, unanimously accepted by the council, not only rejects a large proportion of the reform but also the method used, namely trying to pass it in a single reading. This decision is not, however, binding, and the Parliament's speaker, Roger Torrent, has already convened a plenary session for 3rd and 4th May, with the measure on the agenda.

According to the ruling, the bill doesn't fulfil the requirements in terms of its nature or complexity to be passed in a single reading. It also notes that the procedure cannot be used when making substantial modifications to certain basic laws.

The Council believes that the bill is aimed at ruling on a topic reserved under the Parliament's rules.

With respect to the contents of the proposal, they believe it violates both Catalonia's Statute of Autonomy and Spain's Constitution. On the other hand, it doesn't believe it to be against the Statute to adopt government agreements and take part in cabinet meetings from a distance. They recommend reformulating the proposal to clarify the quorum necessary to convene such meetings.