Senin 16 Oct 2017 23:01 WIB

Puigdemont fails to spell out independence stance

Red: Reiny Dwinanda
People who support Catalan independence watched the speech of Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, on a giant screen in Barcelona.
Foto: Susana Vera/Reuters
People who support Catalan independence watched the speech of Catalan leader, Carles Puigdemont, on a giant screen in Barcelona.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MADRID/BARCELONA -- Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont failed to clarify on Monday whether he had declared Catalonia's independence from Spain last week, paving the way for the central government to take control of the region and rule it directly.

The wealthy region's threatened to break away following a referendum in Oct. 1 that Spain's Constitutional Court said was illegal. That plunged the country into its worst political crisis since an attempted military coup in 1981.

Puigdemont made a symbolic declaration of independence on Tuesday, but suspended it seconds later and called for negotiations with Madrid on the region's future.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy gave him until Monday 10:00 a.m. (0800 GMT) to clarify his position, and until Thursday to change his mind if he insisted on a split - and said Madrid would suspend Catalonia's autonomy if he chose independence.