Separatist lawmaker Quim Torra, candidate for regional president, leaves the chamber at the end of the parliamentary session in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, May 12, 2018. Catalonia's separatists have failed to elect a new leader for the restive Spanish region, likely leaving them with one more chance to form a government or face new elections. Candidate Quim Torra fell short on Saturday of the absolute majority of 68 votes needed to be elected on a first round. Torra, a fervent secessionist, will have a second opportunity on Monday when only a simple majority of more "Yes" than "No" votes is required. less </s> Catalonia’s separatists have failed to elect a new leader for the restive Spanish region, likely leaving them with one more chance to form a government before a new election is called.

Candidate Quim Torra fell short on Saturday of the absolute majority of 68 votes needed to be elected in the first round. Torra, a fervent secessionist, will have another chance during a second round on Monday, when only a simple majority of more “yes” than “no” votes is required.

In-fighting among separatist parties left Quim two votes short. Four members of the radical far-left CUP party abstained.

The party plans to decide Sunday how its lawmakers will vote during the second round.

Catalonia’s pro-independence parties risk an election being automatically triggered if they don’t form a government by May 22. </s> Catalonia's parliament has elected hard-line separatist Quim Torra as the Spanish region's new leader. The divided parliament voted 66 in favour, 65 against and 4 abstentions for the election of Torra, who was handpicked by the region's exiled former leader, Carles Puigdemont. </s> Quim Torra, a lawmaker from Junts per Catalunya party, was backed by 66 lawmakers, 65 were against, while four abstained.

The candidate was backed by his own party and the Republican Left of Catalonia. However, the parties that object to Catalonia's independence voted against him, while the four representatives of the pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy abstained.

READ MORE: Catalan Parliament Allows Regional Government Head to Be Elected in Absence

A new round of voting is scheduled for Monday. To win in the first round, Torra needed an absolute majority, or 68 votes. At Monday's second round, he can win with a simple majority.

Earlier in May, Catalan lawmakers voted in favor of an amendment that would allow the regional president to be elected without his or her presence in the parliament, in a move that could return former leader Carles Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile, to power. </s> Quim Torra needed 68 votes to be elected but obtained only 66.

They now have just ten days to form a government or face holding a new election.

But Torra has another chance in a second round of voting on Monday - as only a simple majority is needed in the regional parliament.

"Carles Puigdemont is our president. We will remain loyal to the mandate from October 1st, which is to build an independent state in the form of a Republic," Torra said after the vote.

Inés Arrimadas, the leader of Ciudadnos, the main pro-Spanish party in Catalonia, accused Torra of failing to compromise.

"He doesn't make any call to change course, any call to rectification or co-existence. He makes a call to clash, to have more confrontation," she said.

The central government in Madrid also accused Torra of being confrontational.

Catalonia has been in political limbo since December last year when pro-independence parties won early elections.

Madrid invoked special powers to take direct control of Catalonia in October after the region declared independence. The wealthy, populous region has been administered by the central government ever since. </s> MADRID (Reuters) - The Catalan parliament elected hard-line separatist Quim Torra as regional leader on Monday, heralding an end to seven months of direct rule from Madrid but also more political uncertainty in a region that retains a mandate to seek a split from Spain.

The deeply-divided parliament voted 66 in favor, 65 against and 4 abstentions for the election of Torra, handpicked by the region’s exiled former leader Carles Puigdemont. </s> Newly elected Catalonia regional president, Quim Torra, is applauded by pro-indpendence parties during an investiture debate at the regional parliament in Barcelona, Spain, May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Albert Gea

MADRID (Reuters) - The Catalan parliament elected hard-line separatist Quim Torra as regional leader on Monday, heralding an end to seven months of direct rule from Madrid but also more political uncertainty in a region that retains a mandate to seek a split from Spain.

The deeply-divided parliament voted 66 in favor, 65 against and 4 abstentions for the election of Torra, handpicked by the region’s exiled former leader Carles Puigdemont. </s> BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalan pro-independence parties failed on Saturday for a fourth time to elect a regional leader, 10 days before the deadline to form a government or hold a new election.

Quim Torra, the candidate proposed by former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to head the regional Catalan government, attends his investiture debate at the regional parliament in Barcelona, Spain, May 12, 2018. REUTERS/Juan Medina

Quim Torra, a close ally of former leader Carles Puigdemont, needed 68 votes to be elected but obtained only 66. However, Torra could still be elected in a second round of voting to beheld on Monday in which only a simple majority in the 135-seat regional parliament is needed, provided the far-left CUP party can be persuaded not to vote against his candidacy.

The CUP, whose four parliamentarians abstained in the vote on Saturday, will meet on Sunday to decide how it will vote in the second round.

Backing unilateral independence over the negotiated exit favored by larger separatist parties, the CUP has previously broken ranks with the pro-independence block.

Catalonia has been in political limbo since December last year when pro-independence parties won early elections called by the central government.

Madrid invoked special powers to take direct control of Catalonia in October after the region declared independence. The wealthy, populous region has been administered by the central government ever since.

Catalan lawmakers must pick a leader to form a government by May 22 to avert further elections, following a standoff during which separatist politicians put forward candidates who were blocked by the courts for being either abroad or in jail, among them Puigdemont.

Addressing the Catalan parliament on Saturday, Torra, a staunch supporter of secession, vowed to work towards a Catalan republic and referred to Puigdemont as the legitimate leader of the region.

Torra also reiterated his openness to dialogue with Madrid, as well as calling on the EU to oversee negotiations.

The Spanish government said Torra’s speech was “confrontational”.

“Any illegality will be corrected and any violation of our constitutional framework will be responded to,” it said in a statement. </s> (AP) – Catalan lawmakers have ended a half-year power vacuum by electing in a close vote secessionist Quim Torra as the new regional chief.

Torra failed to be elected with an absolute majority in an earlier vote over the weekend. But on Monday, the 135-strong Catalan parliament voted 66-to-65 to support Torra, with the four lawmakers of the far-left anti-establishment CUP party abstaining.

Torra, 55, is a fervent nationalist hand-picked by former leader Carles Puigdemont, who is in Berlin fighting extradition to Spain after being charged for rebellion and misuse of public funds in connection to last year’s Catalan independence bid.

The Spanish government is expected to remove the special controls on the Catalan administration after Torra and his new ministers are sworn in later this week.
Quim Torra gets 66 votes, 2 short of the 68 votes needed to be elected by an absolute majority of the 135-seat Parliament of Catalonia. A second round is to be held on Monday, in which he would need a simple majority to be elected.