BARCELONA (Sputnik) — Carles Puigdemont will stay at the post of Catalan president "at least until the citizens decide otherwise in a free election," Oriol Junqueras, President of the Republican Left of Catalonia who was also sacked by Spanish authorities, wrote in his article for El Punt Avui newspaper.
Also on Sunday, Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis said Puigdemont will barely be able to run the so-called parallel government after being dismissed by the central government.
This comes as Puigdemont said on Saturday he refused to recognize the dismissal of the Catalan government and called for "democratic resistance" to direct rule by Madrid.
On Friday the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared region's independence from Spain in a secret vote. Spain's Senate responded with the enactment of the Article 155 of the Constitution. Under the article, Madrid imposes direct rule on Catalonia, which means the dissolution of Catalonia's parliament and Generalitat.
The controversial referendum on independence was held in Catalonia on October 1 despite the fierce opposition of the central Spanish government. Only 2.26 million Catalans out of 7.5 million participated in the referendum. However, more than 90 percent of votes were in favor of secession. Subsequently, Madrid called the vote illegal.
