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Mas steps aside for last hour agreement to form Catalan government

Xinhua, January 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

Catalan separatist groups Junts pel Si and CUP reached an 11th hour agreement on Saturday afternoon to form a coalition government in the wealthy Spanish region, avoiding the need to call new elections for the Catalan regional assembly (Generalitat).

Under the agreement, Junts pel Si leader and candidate will become head of the Generalitat. Artur Mas will step aside and replaced by Carles Puigdemont, the current mayor of the city of Girona.

"I am stepping aside. It is a painful decision, but I am calm and convinced," Mas told a press conference Saturday.

He said he would not take any role in the new government.

The pact comes a week after CUP refused to support Mas as the leader of a pro-Catalan independence government. If a coalition government cannot be formed in 30 hours, new elections will be called.

The left-wing CUP said they would be willing to support a different candidate to end the political limbo which has affected the Catalan region since the elections on Sept. 27, 2015.

The elections left Junts pel Si with 62 seats in the Catalan assembly, needing the support of CUP's 10 deputies in order to form a government.

The past five days have seen intense negotiations, which continued into Saturday as the two sides attempted to thrash out an agreement, which was confirmed shortly after 5 p.m. local time(1600 GMT). Endit