Catalan Leader Warns against Disrupting Independence Vote

Catalan leader Artur Mas said Saturday that any steps taken by Spain's central government to disrupt a symbolic vote on independence in the wealthy region would be "a direct attack on democracy".

Spain's Constitutional Court this week ordered the Catalan government to suspend Sunday's vote but Catalonia's nationalist government has vowed to press ahead with the ballot, which will be organized by volunteers without an official electoral roll.

"I don't know what they will do, it does not depend on us, but if they have a minimum of common sense I think any action out of the ordinary (to prevent the vote) would be a direct attack on democracy and a direct attack on fundamental rights," Mas said during an interview with public television.

Madrid has not specified what legal consequences Catalan leaders, poll workers and voters might face although the central government representative in Catalonia has warned the Catalan officials that they cannot use public resources to carry out the ballot.