MADRID, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The speaker of the Catalan regional assembly Roger Torrent on Friday scheduled an investiture debate for Saturday in an attempt to end the political stalemate in the northeast region of Spain.
It will be the fourth attempt to elect a leader after failures with Jordi Turull and Jordi Sanchez, who are currently in prison, and Carles Puigdemont, who is currently in Germany after leaving Spain to escape charges of rebellion and misuse of public funds.
Spanish TV network RTVE reported that Quim Torra is the new candidate after the Spanish Constitutional Court prohibited the long-distance investiture of Puigdemont.
The debate is scheduled for midday on Saturday, although it is likely a second vote will be needed 48 days later as the pro-independence party CUP will abstain in the first vote, leaving Torra short of the absolute majority he requires in the 135-seat chamber.
If CUP abstains in the second vote, a simple majority will be enough to see Torra elected as the 131st leader of the region and bring an end to the central Spanish government control which has been in place in Catalonia since Oct. 27, 2017.
If no government is formed in the region by May 22, new elections would be held.
