Spain: coronavirus weighs down regional elections in Catalonia
Queue in front of a polling station at the Mercat de Sant Antoni in Barcelona, February 14, 2021. REUTERS - ALBERT GEA
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In Spain, the Catalans are called to the polls this Sunday, February 14.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the authorities had to face some organizational problems.
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Regional election day in Catalonia.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the authorities had opened several additional polling stations to avoid too large gatherings.
In this covered market in central Barcelona, requisitioned for the occasion, when the doors opened this morning, some members of the polling stations were missing and voters had to wait in the rain, as Marta Balmes says.
our correspondent in Barcelona
,
Elise Gazengel
: "
it's a mess but hey we need to understand them, they had to get it all on the wire and apparently missing .. people
.
"
The members of polling stations are appointed in Spain but nearly 30% had contested their appointment, the authorities then summoned more substitutes such as Felipe Rubalcaba who had to take over this morning, in the absence of holders: "
J ' was last on the list but I have to go!
I hope that the sanitary conditions will be met .. but I think it should have been more serious because they will let people who have Covid-19 come to vote at 7 p.m., I do not agree on the procedure for people's health.
"
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See also: Regional elections in Catalonia: sling in the polling stations
Beyond the results, expected around midnight local time (23h UT), the main unknown of this election relates to participation, writes AFP.
This should be down sharply due to the health context in one of the European states hardest hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, despite a slight improvement in recent days.
These elections take place a little over three years after the failure of a secession attempt marked by the holding, on October 1, 2017, of a self-determination referendum banned by the courts and which had given rise to very violent police.
The head of the Catalan government at the time, Carles Puigdemont, is still in exile in Belgium and nine pro-independence leaders were sentenced in 2019 to terms ranging from nine to 13 years in prison.
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To read also: Is a dialogue possible between Madrid and Catalonia?
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