CATALONIA ROADMAP TO INDEPENDENCE: THE 11 POINTS

11 Conclusions

1. Currently, there is no room for manoeuvre to recognise the Catalan people's right to decide within the Spanish constitutional and legal framework. The only possible way of exercising this right is by disconnecting [from the Spanish state] and activating [our] own constituent process.
2. The people of Catalonia have the legitimacy to begin [their] own democratic, citizen based, transversal, participative and binding constituent process, with the recognition, support and guarantee of Catalan institutions.
3. Comparative experiences from other countries guarantee the path taken by Catalonia in building a singular constituent process model, given the social, cultural, political and economic circumstances that characterise us.
4. Care must be taken that the methodological framework of the constituent process be agreed upon, public, transparent and shared by the whole of society and by the institutions that guarantee it. The constituent process must have the capacity to accommodate all ideological and social sensibilities from the word go, including when it is time to settle on the indicators, the calendar and all other matters affecting the method used to advance the [independence] process.
5. The constituent process must include three phases: a first participative process phase, a second phase to disconnet from the Spanish state and call constituent elections to form a constituent assembly, which must draw up a constitutional project, and a third phase for the popular ratification of the constitution via a referendum.
6. The prior participative process must have as its main body a Constituent Social Forum made up of representatives of organised civil society and political parties. The Constituent Social Forum must debate and formulate a set of questions on the specific content of the future constitution, which must be resolved by citizens via a citizen participation process. The result of this citizen participation will constitute a binding mandate for those who make up the constituent assembly, who must incorporate them into the constitutional project text.
7. Following the citizen participation phase, the disconnection with the Spanish state will be completed via the approval of disconnection laws in the Catalan Parliament and via the democratic exercise of a unilateral mechanism that will serve to activate the formation of a Constituent Assembly. The disconnection laws are not susceptible to control, suspension or challenge by any other power, court or tribunal.
8. The Catalan Parliament protects the constituent process that must take place in Catalonia. To that effect, the Parliament encourages the Catalan government to make available to citizens the resources needed to bring about a transversal, plural, democratic, open constituent debate with a social base. To that end, the Catalan Parliament will have to create a commission to monitor the constituent process.
9. The Constituent Assembly, once it has been formed, chosen and constituted, will have full powers. The decisions of this assembly must be complied with by other public bodies and by all legal and physical persons. None of the decisions of the assembly be susceptible to control, suspension or challenge by any other power, court or tribunal either. The Constituent Assembly must establish mechanisms to guarantee direct, active, democratic participation by people and organised civil society in the debate process and as proposals for the constitutional project are drawn up.
10. Once the Constituent Assembly has approved the constitutional project, a constitutional referendum must by called so that the people of Catalonia can approve or reject the text of the new Constitution peacefully and democratically.
11. The constituent process must include gender perspective from the beginning, in a transversal manner with a dual strategy, with the aim of breaking our society's historical inertia and developing a constituent process that is also [constituent] for all people.

THE CATALAN SPRING HAS BEGUN

Today the Catalan Parliament is set to vote and, predictably, approve a declaration of sovereignty that will state that the people of Catalonia are a political subject qualified to exercise their right to decide on any matters concerning their wellbeing. This vote will represent one more milestone for us, Catalans, towards achieving our goals as a nation. The November elections and the various polls conducted all seem to indicate two facts.

First, there is an ample majority—-between 60% and 88%, depending on the sources—in favor of the right to self-determination. This overwhelming majority speaks clearly about what Catalans want—a majority that is politically backed by the parties in favor of independence. It seems logical that the will of the majority should be reflected in a declaration by our parliament. Trying to stop the exercise of this fundamental liberty has not other name than anti-democracy, the seed of instability to the foundations of the European Union.

Second, there is another majority (51-65%) in favor of Catalonia's independence, especially if it remains inside the European Union. Naturally, independence is only one of the options considered as the future political status of a sovereign Catalonia. In any case, it is the option preferred by the majority. Right now, other options such as federalism or greater autonomy are favored by a minority. Those proposing a return to centralism and unitarianism are in an very clear minority.

It is true that in the eyes of most Catalans, Spain has exhausted its political capital to present itself as the state that defends and promotes the interests of Catalonia. Now is not the time to give a full report of all wrongdoings against us, but it's perfectly clear that the future of Catalonia as a nation, of the People of Catalonia, lies not within Spain, because the Spanish national project is equivalent to political subordination, economic plundering, and language annihilation. And this is not the future we want.

That's why today we are making history. We need to be aware that we are going through an important moment in history that will be remembered in the next decades. That's why getting involved in the current events is not only a civic duty, but a source of pride at the personal and national level.

(NOTE: First published at Help Catalonia, 23.01.2013)