Catalan Gov't Announces Interim President Following Quim Torra Leaving Office

MADRID (Sputnik) - The Catalan government on Wednesday announced that Vice President Pere Aragones would serve as the interim president in place of Quim Torra, who was relieved of his office by a court decision.

"The vice president of the government and adviser on economy and finance substitutes the president of the government ... The vice president of the government discharges functions of the president of the government in accordance with the limitations of the substitution and the government's functions", the government said in its newsletters.

Now, the head of the Catalan parliament, Roger Torrent, will have ten days to hold consultations with the parliamentary groups on who will be the next president. If they fail to approve anyone, parliament will be dissolved and a snap election will be declared.

The Republican Left of Catalonia and Together for Catalonia political parties, which are members of the ruling collation, have already agreed not to put forward a candidacy, meaning that an election is likely to be held in early February.

Earlier in the week, the Spanish Supreme Court upheld the decision of a lower court and made Quim Torra, the head of the Catalan government, ineligible to hold any elected office for one and a half years.