MADRID, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said Tuesday that the rule of law must be obeyed in the investiture debate to be held in the Catalan regional assembly.
Carles Puigdemont is the only candidate for the new leader of Catalonia. Puigdemont, who had been in exile in Brussels since October, is wanted in Spain on charges of sedition and rebellion after declaring Catalan independence.
Puigdemont's and other pro-independence parties held onto the majority vote in the December snap elections in Catalonia, which the Spanish government called after it dissolved the Catalan administration led by Puigdemont.
Speaking in an interview with state television network RTVE, Rajoy said the Catalan regional parliament should "accept the law and return to social, institutional and economic reality".
He also had a message for Puigdemont, saying he "cannot be a fugitive and expect to be invested as (Catalan) leader".
The Spanish Constitutional Court ruled on Saturday that Tuesday's investiture debate could continue, but that Puigdemont could not be invested by video link and would have to be present, despite the threat of immediate arrest.
Rajoy said he was "satisfied" with Saturday's Constitutional Court ruling and warned that "disobeying" the decision would have consequences.
Roger Torrent, speaker of the Catalan regional assembly, announced on Tuesday morning that he was postponing the investiture debate to elect a new regional leader which was originally due to start later in the day.
The decision comes amidst the confusion over how the only candidate, Carles Puigdemont, could be sworn in.
It is still uncertain whether Puigdemont will attempt to be present at the debate or whether his supporters will try to have him invested by video link.
