BARCELONA (Reuters) - Catalonia on Tuesday postponed the election of a new regional president until further notice after Spain’s highest court said the sole nominee, separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, was ineligible while he remains a fugitive from justice in Belgium. Torrent said: “I am not proposing any other candidate apart from Puigdemont.”



Announcing that he was adjourning the session, he said: “It will be held when we can hold an effective investiture, without interference and with guarantees.”



The speaker said he would personally guarantee Puigdemont’s immunity and that of other MPs. Hundreds of protestors gathered outside the Catalan parliament in Barcelona on Tuesday, many wearing Puigdemont masks and chanting ‘Puigdemont, our president!”

An October referendum on secession was ruled illegal by the Constitutional Court and Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy fired the region’s administration when it declared independence.
The Speaker of the Parliament of Catalonia delays the session of investiture of Carles Puigdemont after the suspension by the Constitutional Court of the telematic investiture. Roger Torrent insists that Puigdemont is the only candidate, disobeying the decision of the high court.