Catalan Independence Vote Scam Organized by Local Gov't – Spanish Party

On Tuesday, the head of Catalonia's regional government, Artur Mas, said Catalonia would unilaterally secede from Spain unless Madrid agreed to hold a binding referendum on the region's independence.

BARCELONA (Sputnik) — The results of a referendum on Catalan independence from Spain could not be objective as it is a "scam" organized by the region's authorities, the president of the Feminist Party of Spain told Sputnik on Thursday.

"The referendum is a scam because it would be hosted by the Government of Catalonia," Lidia Falcon said.

She added that such referenda "are organized to win," pointing to the example of the Spanish referendum to join NATO as evidence.

"You just have to convince the people with the means that the state has, whether through advertising or the media," the politician stressed.

Catalonia has long sought independence from Spain, accusing Madrid of constraining its economic and cultural autonomy and of unfairly distributing resources in the country.

The region is holding regional elections on Sunday. A coalition of pro-independence parties have pledged to set the processes in motion for the autonomous region to separate from Spain within 18 months, should they win a majority.