BARCELONA: The outgoing head of the Catalan government, Artur Mas, on Thursday failed again to garner enough support in the regional parliament to secure a new term following a September vote.

Mas, who has spearheaded Catalonia’s drive to break away from Spain, won the backing of only the 62 lawmakers of his Together for Yes coalition, with the remaining 73 opposed.

The result mirrors the outcome of a first vote held in the 135-seat assembly on Tuesday.

Mas, 59, needs the support of the smaller, far-left separatist CUP party, which has 10 seats in the assembly, to secure a majority in favour of a second term.

But while the party shares his ambition of creating an independent Catalan republic, it is fiercely opposed to the austerity measures his government has introduced and is critical of corruption scandals that have tainted his CDC party.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2015

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