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Catalan referendum: preliminary results show 90% in favour of independence

theguardian.com

1–10 of 95 posts

Re: Catalan referendum: preliminary results show 90% in favour of independence

#3

There are reports of people voting from two to 4 different schools. Wondering what methods authorities used to ensure there was no fraud on these referendum.

I suspect that will be one argument used by the Spanish authorities as to why the referendum was invalid.

Re: Catalan referendum: preliminary results show 90% in favour of independence

#6

There are reports of people voting from two to 4 different schools. Wondering what methods authorities used to ensure there was no fraud on these referendum.

Sounds pretty amazing, with all the violence and militarized police abusing the voters, for some people to be dedicated enough to go through it four times

Re: Catalan referendum: preliminary results show 90% in favour of independence

#8
post #5

Yeah ... if you are willing to take a boot to the face to vote, you probably want to change the status quo. But the boots to the face then validate the results and the rest will be history.

Game theoretically, the fact that the Spanish government was so dead set against the vote implies that they thought there was a significant probability that it would be over 50% regardless. It seems like if a government resorts to violence to stop separatism movements, that violence is prima facie evidence that the separatist sentiment potentially represents the majority of a region.

I have actually been surprised by Spain's response to this. I have always assumed that self-determination was a principle that modern Europeans actually believed in, rather than something that was only a political convenience. I don't know that much about history, though, so perhaps I could be more cynical on the topic.

Re: Catalan referendum: preliminary results show 90% in favour of independence

#9

There are reports of people voting from two to 4 different schools. Wondering what methods authorities used to ensure there was no fraud on these referendum.

What would you propose in a situation where voting gets you beaten, and schools hosting ballots get smashed up?

Re: Catalan referendum: preliminary results show 90% in favour of independence

#10
post #7

It's absurd that in a Western 'democracy' you'd have the national police out to suppress a referendum and attack peaceful voters. Good job Spain, you just legitimised the referendum and gave Catalonia a ton of international sympathy.

You're right. I've never been to Spain, I know no one from Spain, and I don't really know anything about Spain, but I do know that using a militarized police force to stop an election, even one that is technically illegal, is pretty messed up and will only serve to further prove the separatists right. If you make peaceful protest illegal, you make violent revolution inevitable.

Even if it's illegal to declare independence, it should never be illegal to vote on anything. I have no stake in the outcome in any way, but at this point I'm rooting for independence. Spain has really proven that they're not worthy of ruling over Catalans if this is how they're treating them during a simple election.

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