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Spanish Parliament Votes Down Catalonia's Independence Bid

© RIA Novosti . Alexey Danichev / Go to the mediabankBarcelona, ​​Spain
Barcelona, ​​Spain - Sputnik International
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Spanish lawmakers have rejected a request by Catalonia's regional assembly seeking permission to hold a referendum on independence from Spain.

MOSCOW, April 9 (RIA Novosti) – Spanish lawmakers have rejected a request by Catalonia's regional assembly seeking permission to hold a referendum on independence from Spain.

The debate, which lasted for seven hours on Tuesday, ultimately saw only 47 out of 350 members of parliament vote in favor of the motion.

Last month, Spain's Constitutional Tribunal ruled that an independence referendum would be in violation of the country’s constitution.

The motion was also strongly opposed by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who has said Catalonia’s independence would be detrimental for both the regional and national economies.

Catalan President Artur Mas earlier said Tuesday’s session was a mere formality with a predetermined outcome, saying he will keep struggling for independence and seeking other legal mechanisms to push ahead with the referendum.

"If they say no, they will say no to a law. But they can't stop the will of the people of Catalonia," Mas told reporters on Sunday.

Mas added that the referendum will be held on November 9 despite fierce opposition on the part of the Spanish government.

Catalonia accounts for a fifth of Spain’s economic output and many pro-referendum supporters say that breaking with the rest of Spain will grant more economic privileges to residents of the region.

According to a recent poll, about half of Catalonia’s 7.5 million population would vote for independence.

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