Francesc Homs voluntarily declares before the court in relation to 9-N symbolic vote on independence

The Catalan Minister for the Presidency and now Catalan coalition ‘Democràcia i Llibertat’ leader in the Spanish Parliament, Francesc Homs, has voluntarily testified to Catalonia’s Supreme Court (TSJC) in relation to the celebration of the 9-N symbolic vote on independence in 2014. Homs, who was President Mas’ right hand man at the time the vote took place, assured that the TSJC has “political” intentions regarding this case and that it is at the Spanish government’s service. “The stronger the charges they request, the greater our victory will be”, he stated. He also pointed that his particular investigation coincides with the negotiations to form a new government in Spain, in the Parliament of which he is a representative. The president of pro-independence cross-party ‘Junts Pel Sí’s parliamentary group, Jordi Turull, accused Spain of “prosecuting” the organisers of the 9-N consultation and treating them as if they were “criminals”. Last October, the TSJC also summonsed former Catalan President, Artur Mas, former Vice-President Joana Ortega and Catalan Minister of Education Irene Rigau for having authorised and co-organised the non-binding and symbolic vote.

Homs also pointed out that his investigation for co-organising the 9-N symbolic vote, which may be referred to the Supreme Court, coincides with his responsibility as head of Catalan coalition ‘Democràcia i Llibertat’ in the Spanish Parliament and the ongoing negotiations in Madrid to form government. Therefore, he stated that “60% or 70%” of the appeal presented responded to “political” intentions.

In the following days, Homs may have to declare before the Supreme Court for having signed a letter which authorised the company T-Systems, which provided the computers used during the symbolic vote, to move on and continue with the requested tasks, as the TC’s suspension didn’t affect the organisation of the vote. Homs admitted his responsibility and authorship of the letter but assured that the suspension of the participative process by the Spanish Constitutional Court (TC) on the 4th of November, five days before the vote took place, was “ambiguous” and, therefore, neither him nor any of the members of the government at that time can be accused of having disobeyed the suspension.

Homs insisted that he always acted within the legality and accused the current Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, of being “a bad loser”, as he could have responded by other means rather than appealing to the court.

“I don’t want to be neither a martyr nor a hero” stated Homs but assured that “the stronger the charges they request, the greater our victory will be”.
‘Junts Pel Sí’: Spain is treating the organisers of the 9-N as if they were “criminals”
“In the Europe of the 21st century nobody can be treated like a criminal for setting out the ballot boxes” stated Turull. “This case damages the Spanish state, as it shows its anti-democratic manners” he assured. Turull urged the Spanish state to respond “politically” to the citizens’ clamour rather than “prosecuting” those who organised the symbolic consultation.

Politicians’ and civil society’s support
As happened in October, when Mas, Rigau and Ortega were summonsed and had to testify before the court, many political and social figures joined Homs to the Court, together with citizens who expressed their disconformity with the TSJC’s decision. Amongst them were many representatives from the present and former Catalan government and from liberal party CDC, such as Catalan government vice president and ERC leader, Oriol Junqueras[JA1] , Catalan government spokeswoman, Neus Munté, former mayor of Barcelona, Xavier Trias and Jordi Sànchez, president of pro-independence civil society association Catalan National Assembly (ANC), to name a few.

Sànchez described the summons for the 9-N consultation as “absurd” and lamented the “litigation of political life”. He commented that the whole process is “late and inappropriate”. In the same vein, the president of the civil society association Òmnium Cultural, Jordi Cuixart, felt it a “very bad situation” that Spain “would opt to solve in the court those issues which should be tackled through politics”. “It is nonsense” stated Miquel Buch, president of the Catalan Association of Municipalities. “Today they prosecute us for setting out the ballot boxes, maybe tomorrow for demonstrating”.