This evening, during his official statement on the occasion of Catalonia’s National Day, President Artur Mas affirmed that this year’s ‘Diada’ is “special” due to its proximity to the elections on September 27th. The President underscored that “the voice through the vote” has finally “arrived to all”. “In your hands lie the power and the tool which will shape the political future of this Nation: the vote", he affirmed from the Palau’s Orange-Tree Courtyard.

 

The head of the Catalan Government noted that once the people “speak through the vote”, “whatever the decision may be, the concord and unequivocal will to be one single nation must continue being the North that guides our collective future”. In this sense, President Mas underlined that even though elections could be won or lost, “the future must be won by the 7.5 million men and women of Catalonia”.

 

During this traditional message, Artur Mas used the opportunity to ask for “a serene debate” during the elections and for the people of Catalonia to relish “the democratic spoils that come from making decisions though ballots, opposing viewpoints, presenting proposals”. “Let us debate them”, he added.

 

The President also made reference to the mass mobilizations that have occurred during the previous Diades and maintained his conviction that this year’s demonstration in Barcelona would ensue “with the same pacific and multitudinous quality as it has done in the last few years”.    

Regarding these peaceful and multitudinous demonstrations, Artur Mas noted that “one must always listen to the voice of the citizenry, but when this voice is persistent and constant, despite that some may want to continue ignoring it, the demand cannot be delayed any further”. For this reason the President maintained that “there can be no institutional representative, no democrat, who can avoid this peaceful outcry and one has the responsibility to find the way so that it can be expressed democratically”.

 

In this context the President qualified as “severe” that some have appealed to the Constitution and to the “spirit” of 1978 and instead of invoking the democratic nature of the time, they have “belittled, distorted and even affronted” the desire of many Catalans to vote on their country’s political future.

 

During his speech, the Catalan President made reference to the first law approved by the Parliament of Catalonia, which declares September 11^th as the National Day of Catalonia. He also noted that 35 years ago all the Nation’s political formations had no problems in recognising what some “are denying today”.

 

The Head of the Catalan Government concluded his message wishing everyone “a happy Diada”, with “sights fixed on our present, tough and full of passion; a present that challenges us and constantly tests us”, but also on “sights set especially on our future, on the children and the youths, and on those whom are yet to come”.

 

Finally, the President conveyed his desire that Catalonia show its best expression to the world: “convivial and open, cultured and civil, committed to justice, lover of liberty, sensitive and sympathetic to the suffering and hopes of so many people who at this moment are forced to cross the blue sea bridge of the Mediterranean, evading war and barbarity, to find a better and more dignified world”.