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>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>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>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.
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.