Departure delays. Drama of bricks it on aljazeera. The. Catalonia is a region in the northeast of spain it is partially autonomous but in recent years independent sentiments have risen among many cattle and in fact. The former leader of the Regional Government challenge madrid and called for a referendum. Barcelona. That executive office i came here over 2 years ago to discuss with the president. His plan for independence this is what he told me that. The. Economic. Either the positions are young. The only fish or referendum went ahead on october 1st 2017 and the conflict in the escalated. There was a Violent Police crackdown with batons and rubber bullets used against voters. But when the ballots were counted claimed an overwhelming victory for secession even though less than half of the registered voters in catalonia took part in the referendum. Among the dont. And form of the republic. Then announced catalonia as independence from spain an october 27th 2017 but the declaration was suspended just 8 seconds later and instead invited madrid to open a dialogue the invitation was rebuffed as madrid considered the referendum illegal and the dense banished Prime Minister by the end of the hallway invoked constitutional powers and fired and his cabinet the deposed catalan president fled to belgium members of his government were taken into custody including puts demands number 2. He was sentenced to 13 years for sedition and misuse of public funds. In may 2800 Catalonia Parliament elected. A close ally as the new president. Dora has continued with the Pro Independence agenda this banished electoral 30 demanded to take down all separatist symbols from the governments headquarters he did so but only after Court Deadline had expired thora is now expected to be tried for disobedience under 18. Continue. General election last week the focal point for many candidates was the political crisis here now. But the far right vox party also made substantial gains so what does that mean for catalonia looking forward and what the future holds for president after his upcoming appearance in court the president of the Regional Government. Talks to al jazeera. President of the Regional Government of catalonia thank you for talking to thank you for being here 2 years ago i was in this same building doing an interview with. Him on and after that many things happened the referendum and all the turmoil that followed. It. Could things have happened differently yes things could happen happened differently but we are where we are now we are after 2 years there are. Previous government of the government of president put them on in jail the other house with the same president with the mourner in exile the repression continues so the situation now is very complicated i think that this grave. Is something that we are putting on the table every day to the Spanish Government im trying to talk with the president scientific every day saying ok the situation is grave. People who sang because you know there was this sentence against our colleagues with 100 years of preaching for them so we have to come back to what is. The essence of the conflict of catalonia that we have to find a political solution for these political issue that the catalans one to decide by themselves their own future many Pro Independence catalans i spoke to you. Fully back the cause. Have been telling me that they didnt understand why there was a declaration of independence that last as they say 8 seconds and then was revoked and maybe that has actually harmed your cause rather it vance it you have to take in consideration. The repression has been very tough but always the Spanish Government has been attacking every decision that the parliament of catalonia took then. And i will fall what is important seeing back what we need 2 years ago is that all the decisions that the parliament of catalonia took in those days they took it democratically by the majority of the seats of the chambre so it was a democracy process we furthermore credit to lucian lets come to today you just said that you were youve been trying to speak every day to disparage Prime MinisterPedro Sanchez have you been trying to reach out to him since the elections took place on november 10th the same night of this election so i try i tried to get him to put in contact with him it was not possible the day after id try to again to to to phone him he was busy so if he picks up the phone announcer im sure you would tell him something more than let sick sit and talk you would have some sort of offer on the table or some sort of idea to put forward what would be that yes of course i think the 1st thing that we have to put on the table is that going to be negotiation without any conditions from that im side the government side were going to put on the table what we think that could be a solution for the conflict that is an agreed referendum internationally validated in order to give to the people to see if they want to be independent or not from. These go around the government of spain to put their solution in the stable of negotiation in that way these negotiations can a start but isnt that somehow a nonstarter because he has been very clear that he wont go against the constitution that the referendum is not under table so where will be that Meeting Point well 1st we have to. Repeat the proposal of the government of spain. Weve never heard anything about about that during this year and a half or so. Spain going to give to the cattle and unity to the side by the buy back by themself their own future not. That is this is the question you know what these the proposal of spain for catalonia independence seems the ultimate goal and probably the most difficult to achieve also because you also need to know whether the majority of the catalans want to turn you out then at the moment if we look at the results of elections its not sure what else would you accept would you accept more autonomy some sort of economic arrangement what would be acceptable for you i can tell you that because as i told you theres. Never have been a proposal from spain we dont know what spain is offering us as a starting point of these negotiations you know and thats the point in. This question you have to ask to to mr sanchez what is spain going to offer to have to start these negotiations im not going to start a negotiation just for a photo no this has to be a serious negotiation with the russian army already later just to give you know a formality to these negotiations between 2 governments of all and of spain and a lot of catalonia sitting together and finding. And giving political solution to the people are not to the spanish people this is not there anymore an internal conflict of spain is a conflict of europe its a conflict of a nation that want to give to the people the right to decide their future by themself you said youre still trying to have a phone conversation with the spanish Prime Minister pederast sanjay he is in a difficult position because he doesnt have a majority to former coalition so the catalan parties could play a role in that couldnt. Yes absolutely. I think that after these 4 months. Disappeared between the the previous elections and then the last elections of last sunday. Even depend more independent these parties than before. And what we are going to ask mr sanchez ok obviously and offer pressure. To sit together in the. Table of negotiations with no conditions that means that we are going to put in that they will these referendum these right of catalonia to serve the determination and we want to ask mr. Nasty. The amnesty sorry for our colleagues in prison so you have a long list of demands and what you think feel that this is a time maybe where because of his political situation. You could get more of a chance to be listened to this is nothing that hes new party hes no parting the government. Defend it with us in catalonia has defended. Political prisoners should should should be free they have defend referendum for a couple onya and they have defended the amnesty for. Political prisoners so if now these parties going to be part of the government of spain i think that we are very close to to the solution if you look at the results of the elections for catalonia the Pro Independence parties got 23 seats to 48 so not the majority. Yet do you speak you feel quite confident that you are stronger than before the elections yes because we have that more boat we have. More members of the chambres if you add to this 237. Members of the chambre of. Marsh and then theres 30 members. Of the chambre that are defending these 3 points amnesty. Referendum and of repression so are 30 from. Much more than 23 so i think that. This is something that. Publishers they have to take in consideration i presumed. Their colleagues from karanja not going to forget their promises in the last campaign do you feel that this is. A historical opportunity for the catalan cause absolutely not only for a couple and i think for spain as well and even for europe i think it is an historical moment to really. Built all together a big consensus Consensus Base it on on freedom. And human rights civil and social rights and what would you do with those cattle lands who are not favoring independence who could be a slight majority. While the better way to know. Which part is. To count saw using a democratic tool as a referendum letting the people knowing what they want is the best way to know if the people of catalonia want to be independent or not and if all this doesnt work. Pedro sanchez says no they will be no referendum and they will be you wont get any of your demands what would you do next well we will vote no in that case it will depend again on the decisions that could take mr sanchez. 4 months ago. He had many opportunities to. Run from oriented to one side or to another while he decided to go to elections and now after these elections weve become stronger while he will decide europe didnt really embrace the cause that it sort of kept a little bit on the margins in the sense you probably when mr man went to brussels he probably expected more pressure. Coming from brussels on the government in madrid that didnt really happen. And it will be disappointed by the position of the European Union but from the other side was was the people was the citizens of europe and we feel very close to this europe that. Is the unit that we feel ourself. Commute it soon a power fraternity that you know of solidarity the europe that helps the. People of the world to be free they want it but its a europe thats also having a lot of problem with the rise of the far right which which happened also in spain and one. Say that part of this rise of the vox party was also the catalonia issue they talked about it over and over again in their campaign and they rallied an incredible amount of support for that absolutely and this is something terrible something terrible in fact this is maybe. The worst problem that spain has now the rice of the fast scene in spain and see when you see the results of the elections last sunday you see how important is vox in a spain how few important books in catalonia you know so who has the problem with box the rest of us spain of catalonia. We were earch the Political Parties in a spain to find the solution for 4 or 4 of these very critical issue ok moving on they were called from the streets coming for spain to sit and talk which is basically the mantra of this online group tsunami democratic juno whos behind it no not at all not at all is really very surprising what has happened with this. Movement organisation because we dont know exactly what these tsunami democratic but what we see is that there are many many people following these these movement. They say that they are acting. Using the civilians but always with the nonviolence im asking you this because your party didnt get alone you has also talked about digital independence and it seems that this democratic tsunami is about this digital independence so im just wondering. What kind of link is there no i think theres no link at all between. My party or even though our money is doing with tsunami democratic that is something apart we dont know who is behind we dont know what they are going to do in the future as we didnt know what. They planned in the past so youre absolutely sure the democratic tsunami has no link or no backing whatsoever for. Cattle and leaders because it seems you know that their protests would have start and quite conveniently depending on a political agenda which usually when there is street protest and pressure grassroots protests usually it goes on unlimited i can tell you they have no clue of what they want to do and what is going to be the next act of tsunami democratic no idea and i think that no one in this country knows it but that and on the other hand could be quite dangerous i mean if you have a Shadowy Group online who nobody knows. Who it how its fun who can mobilize people on the street that could backfire as well yeah but what we are after these days weeks grieving. The statements of. Their scene in their communication etc etc i think that the people. Feeling that this is a Democratic Movement that there is no violence at all the want to push for the. Top always democratically involved i think that people are feeling that saw at least at this point. While. Conceding that something very close to them because we asked many of the protesters who is behind yeah and what some said we dont know others said the same people who organize a referendum in 2017 so there is that belief on the street. Really no no idea at all no idea at all because in never. Told me anything about about. It now it lets you were talking about the protesters and they were nonviolent but there have been some writing and you came maybe under criticism for being a bit slow in condemning that violence why did it take you so long. Because we were you know in this election process while depreciation uses these human and just to say ok not condemning violence i believe times and i repeat it the violence is not compatible with they know when this process of capello. It doesnt represent us most of the protests have been nonviolence. Especially these last few days but following the sentencing of the 9 catalan leaders which enraged a lot of people here there were scenes of violence and we spoke to people and they said you may have been a bit harsh with the police with the most was the cattle and police putting a bit of the blame on them rather than giving them the political cover that their regional president should. Police all by super but obviously as we saw there were some images that really shocked us and that we i what they said was that probably all these images out of the protocols that the police should should follow and what what they said and what the strong to believe just because to to return the confidence of the people of catalonia to our police is that in that cases these cases should be investigated just to know exactly if we followed the protocols and and the good practices that should be followed by by the police or not and would you consider declaring independence again the dependent of catalonia will come i think that is something that nobody will stop it ok but now its time to build all the independent parties in catalonia a very strong agreement base it in the point of freedom amnesty and how we are going to i just say this again our right of selfdetermination. You know all the. More you saying were going to do it again that is something that in the street you will hear ok we say yes of course and were. The right off so that im a nation again but we have learned something of these previews here that to point out that. You know maybe not the best way to do the thing saw. Ok lets be stronger lets build up these great consensus between all of us gold them with these arisan of. Our right of selfdetermination turner president of the couple of Regional Government thank you very much for talking to aljazeera thank you very much for giving us the paternity to explain this edition got a long and was a pleasure having you here. And inspiring quest for knowledge that led to remarkable achievements aljazeera world meets the algerian entrepreneur. 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To deal with poverty unless you deal with the gap you disappear why disagree with that toy this is going to be blaming the public become a treat for the personnel that doesnt mean anybody these people well trained as much of these long extent machinery as we have been very good friends version of populism alters you to join me im in the hot sun as i put the 0 from questions to my special guests and challenge them to some straight political debate here on aljazeera. Sri lankas governing coalition candidate concedes defeat in the election overshadowed by the Easter Sunday bombings. And i missed the ataman says al jazeera live also coming up tear gas and petrol bombs violence between protesters and police as a University Campus in hong kong. Looking for a legal way to go back and be with the people. From exile even more as tells aljazeera he wants to return to bolivia and finish his president ial