THE speaker of the Catalan Parliament has been urged to remove a disqualified left-wing MP from his seat or face the wrath of the central electoral board (JEC) over another “yellow ribbon” episode.
Laura Borras was given five business days late last week to act over Pau Juvilla, from the far-left CUP, after the parliament agreed to defend him with an appeal to the Supreme Court.
It followed a guilty verdict for disobedience refusing to remove the ribbons from his council office in Lleida ahead of a municipal election in 2019.
Since the 2017 referendum, the yellow ribbons have become a symbol of support for those jailed and charged with various offences during the indy campaign and subsequent declaration of independence.
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Borras has said she would not take action against Juvilla until the Supreme Court makes a ruling.
The electoral board stripped Juvilla of his seat after the High Court verdict, which saw him barred from public office for six months and fined €1080 (£900).
Citizens, a right-wing, unionist party, had lodged a complaint against him displaying “partisan” symbols during the purdah period.
When Juvilla became a Catalan MP, the case had to be heard in the High Court.
On an earlier occasion, former president Quim Torra was eventually barred from office for 18 months over his refusal to remove the ribbons from the government headquarters in Barcelona, which saw Pere Aragones, his then vice-president, take over the presidency.
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Juvilla’s CUP party has confirmed it will fight to retain Juvilla’s seat, but that he would be absent from the chamber because of illness.
Borras has repeatedly stated her commitment to retaining Juvilla in the parliament until there is a definitive ruling.
She said: “I do not have the power or the will to withdraw the seat of Juvilla or any of the deputies, and I will act in accordance with the preservation of rights and freedoms.
“Parliament is the seat of the sovereignty of the people of Catalonia and … the JEC an administrative entity.”
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