Eight years, four months and seven days ago, Arenys de Munt held a referendum on whether Catalonia should secede from Spain. Of the town’s population, 99.6 per cent turned out to vote, and out of that 96.2 per cent voted “yes”, 2.3 per cent “no” and 1.1 per cent left the ballot paper blank.
Catalonia's quest for independence hit a speed bump with its referendum, but the central government in Madrid should not attempt to quell separatist fever by arresting government leaders involved in the movement. All citizens should be free to express their opinion through the ballot box rather than in the streets, and the government should ensure that voting is fair and uninhibited. For details, see the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development. §1.6 §5.3 §6.4 §7.3 §8.3