The Ousted Leader of Catalonia Calls for Coalition of Separatist Parties in Parliamentary Elections

The ousted leader of Catalonia has called on all separatist parties and groups in the region to form a coalition to ensure victory in the local parliamentary elections. Carlos Puigdemont's call comes a day after the Spanish Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant for him. He is currently in Belgium, and Spain has requested his extradition to Madrid. Charges against the ousted leader of Catalonia include rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds, disobedience, and undermining public trust. On Saturday, November 4, he tweeted: 'It is time for all democrats to unite. For Catalonia, for the freedom of political prisoners, and for the Republic.' Carlos Puigdemont has been in Belgium since Monday, and the judge has not accepted his presence in court via video conference. The Spanish Supreme Court has issued arrest warrants for four of Puigdemont's associates, who are also in Belgium. Belgium has a maximum of three months to decide on the extradition request for these five individuals. The Belgian public prosecutor's office confirmed on Saturday that it has received the arrest warrants for these five individuals. The office added that after summoning these five to court in Belgium, a decision will be made within 24 hours. However, according to relevant officials, if there is an appeal, the final decision could take up to three months. The Belgian Ministry of Justice stated in its announcement that according to EU laws, the final decision must be made within 60 days, which can be extended to 90 days under certain circumstances. Other members of the dissolved Catalan cabinet, who have fled to Belgium, were arrested on Thursday, including Puigdemont's deputy. The arrests of these individuals have been met with widespread protests from separatists. Carlos Puigdemont, who had announced his readiness to run for parliamentary elections on Friday, called on separatist groups and parties on Saturday to form a coalition to guarantee the victory of separatists. The 'Catalan Democratic Party,' which Puigdemont leads, has held most power in the region since the establishment of democracy in Spain. Separatist parties held 72 out of 135 seats in the local parliament, but polls indicate that Puigdemont's party may rank fourth or fifth this time. With the charges against Carlos Puigdemont and his associates, their candidacy for the parliamentary elections remains uncertain. Meanwhile, the Belgian Ministry of Justice states that in 'some cases,' a European arrest warrant may face a negative ruling from a judge. The ministry also added that if a decision for extradition is made, the accused must generally be handed over to the issuing country within 10 days. Carlos Puigdemont has called for international community support, but so far, only Nicola Sturgeon, the separatist First Minister of Scotland, has supported him. Members of the European Union, the United States, and Mexico have all supported the unity of Spain.