Catalan president, Quim Torra, has sent a letter asking Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy to publish the decree with the nominations of his new ministers "immediately and without delay". The letter follows the conclusions reached by the Legal Advisory Commission that the formation of the cabinet falls to the head of the Catalan executive and isn't subject to any control under article 155 of the Spanish Constitution.
"I ask you to proceed immediately and without further delay to authorise the publication of the decree [of nominations] so that the members of the new government can immediately take office, the application of article 155, which has so harmed our country, comes to an end and institutional normality starts to be reestablished in Catalonia," he writes.
Rajoy's executive has so far refused to publish the appointments because they include two ministers in prison (Jordi Turull and Josep Rull), and two in exile (Lluís Puig and Toni Comín). The government's secretary, Víctor Cullell, sent a letter on Monday to the undersecretary of the prime minister's office demanding the nominations' publication or an explanation why they wouldn't.
The president notes that the unanimous verdict of the commission is very clear in its conclusions as regards both the president's powers to nominate the members of his government and the fact that not publishing the decree could be "contrary to the legal system and, as such, open to legal control".
He also emphasises that the commission's report makes it clear that those nominated as ministers have had no limits placed on their political rights, nor face any legal circumstance which would prevent them assuming office. Nor is their any rule which means that they have to be sworn-in in person or simultaneously.
Torra closes the letter repeating the wish for "sincere dialogue" he expressed in the letter he sent to Rajoy last week, calling for a "first meeting soon".