Spanish government delegate expects new elections to end crisis in Catalonia

MADRID - The Spanish government delegate in Catalonia said on Thursday that he was "convinced" that new elections in the region would put an end to the ongoing crisis.

Spain's rich Catalonia autonomous region held a referendum on self-determination on Oct 1, which was declared illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court.

Following the declaration of independence by the former Catalan regional government on Friday, the Spanish government stripped the region of its autonomy, sacked Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his government and decided to hold new elections in the region on Dec 21.

Speaking on the day that several former members of the Catalan government appeared in court in Madrid facing charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, Spanish government delegate Enric Millo said he looked ahead to the end of the crisis.

Millo said he hopes the new Catalan regional government will "develop its ideas, whatever, their colors, within the current legal framework."

He said the application of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which suspends the autonomy of Catalonia and hands control of key Catalan institutions to Madrid, will end once the Catalans choose their parliament and this in turn will elect the next president of the region.

"We hope that the new (Catalan) government develops legitimate ideas and objectives, whatever they are, but that they do so within the law," he said.