Portugual urges dialogues over governance after Catalan election

LISBON, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese government called for dialogues to find solutions for the governance in Spain's Catalonia region after Thursday's snap elections, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday in a statement.

The statement said that the Portuguese government welcomes the expressive popular participation in elections in Catalonia on Thursday, which reflected the Catalans' desire to find solutions for their future.

"In view of the complexity of the situation and the results, a commitment to responsible and democratic dialogues will be essential in order to find solutions for Catalonia's governance, preserving Spain's sovereignty and fully guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of its citizens," the statement said.

"The Portuguese government is confident that, within the framework of the constitution and the law, the Spanish democratic institutions will be able to fulfill this plan of understanding and harmony," it concluded.

In Thursday's elections in Catalonia, Spain's pro-unity Catalan party Ciudadanos won the most votes by gaining 37 seats in the 135-seat regional parliament.

But the pro-independence bloc consisting of three parties -- JuntsxCat, ERC and CUP -- secured an absolute majority of 70 seats in the parliament. Enditem