Josep Rull proclaimed president of Parliament
The day after Josep Rull was proclaimed president of Parliament, the country’s second highest authority, the Official State Gazette (BOE) published the amnesty law for those accused in the process. This was the last administrative step needed to allow the rule, approved by Congress on May 30, to enter into force.
In an interview with RAC1, Rull emphasized that he will take advantage of the amnesty to ‘clear his criminal record’ even though he was only charged with the crime of sedition and this was removed from the Penal Code.
The amnesty law for those accused of the process has been published
The Official State Gazette (BOE) has published the amnesty law for those accused of the process, after it was approved by Congress on May 30. This was the last administrative step needed to allow the rule to come into force.
In an interview with RAC1, Josep Rull stated that he will take advantage of the amnesty to ‘clear his criminal record’ even though he was only charged with the crime of sedition and this was removed from the Penal Code.
Risk that the amnesty will remain on wet paper
In the interview with RAC1, Rull acknowledged that “there may be a risk” that the amnesty will remain on paper because of the “attitude” of the judicial leadership. Despite this, he emphasized that it would be ‘unheard of’ if the former president Puigdemont were arrested with the amnesty law in force and provisionally imprisoned due to the risk of flight, but he did not completely rule it out.
Negotiations to agree on the Bureau of the Parliament
Josep Rull has explained that he did not participate in the negotiations to agree the Parliament Table with ERC and the CUP, and has stated that they were led by the president in exile, Carles Puigdemont, and the general secretary of Junts per Catalunya, Jordi Tower
Rull highlighted Junts per Catalunya’s negotiating capacity in the case of the Bureau, stating that ‘a year ago Junts has started a successful negotiation mechanism that requires a lot of humility and a lot of discretion’.
ERC and the presidency of the Generalitat
In relation to the possibility of ERC voting for Salvador Illa as president of the Generalitat, Josep Rull has asked not to speculate and has emphasized that so far ‘ERC has been honest and exquisite in this negotiation of the Bureau’.
Rull has stated that the round of contacts between the President of Parliament and the various groups is now beginning to verify whether there is a will to present a candidacy and whether it has the necessary support to carry it forward.
A democratic chamber must be able to discuss everything
Josep Rull has defended that a democratic chamber must be able to discuss everything, always respecting human rights. He emphasized that the Bureau with a pro-independence majority will allow Parliament to debate the goals and aspirations of the citizens of Catalonia.
Rull has affirmed that ‘it will never be a violation of the law that Parliament can debate everything the deputies want’.
