1st LD : Pro-Unity Ciudadanos wins Catalan election but secessionists maintain majority

BARCELONA, Spain, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The pro-unity Catalan party Ciudadanos (Cs) won the most votes with 25 percent in the snap regional election on Thursday, with 99.5 percent of votes counted.

But the pro-independence bloc consisting of three parties -- JuntsxCat, ERC and CUP -- kept its absolute majority in the 135-seat regional parliament.

Ciudadanos, led by Ines Arrimadas, gained 37 seats with 25.36 percent of the votes.

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont's JuntsxCat, or Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), secured 34 seats with 21.68 percent of the votes.

Left-wing pro-secession ERC came third with 32 seats and the anti-capitalist CUP won four seats.

The three pro-independence forces together make up 70 seats, two above a majority but two less than in the previous 2015 election. Enditem