The parties seeking a split from Spain will present Jordi Turull, a member of the previous regional administration, for a vote of confidence in the regional parliament on Thursday, the Catalan parliament speaker Roger Torrent said in a statement. One name that has been raised is Jordi Turull, the former Catalan government spokesman who is also under investigation over the secession drive but remains free under bail. Image copyright AFP Image caption Jordi Sanchez was jailed on sedition charges after October's independence referendum

Jailed Catalan activist Jordi Sanchez has dropped his bid to lead the region's government, paving the way for separatist parties to offer a new name. But this may also be a challenge, as a Supreme Court judge has summoned Turull and other Catalan separatist leaders under probe on Friday to tell them exactly what they are charged with. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative government sacked the Catalan government, called early elections and took direct control of the region in October just hours after the Catalan parliament made a unilateral declaration of independence. Torrent announced the start of a third round of talks to try and form a government with former Catalan regional government spokesman Jordi Turull, a member of Puigdemont’s JperC party, who is expected to be named as the new candidate. This could ease a months-long political blockage in Catalonia, as it means separatist parties will designate a new candidate for the presidency of the region which has been under direct rule from Madrid since October 27 when lawmakers declared independence. Former regional head Carles Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile in Brussels, and Jordi Sanchez, a leader of a prominent grassroots group who is in jail over his role in the illegal campaign to split from Spain, have both withdrawn their bids because they could not attend a swearing-in session.
Catalan activist Jordi Sànchez i Picanyol, imprisoned accused of sedition, drops his bid to lead the Catalan government.