The president of the Parlament de Catalunya, Carme Forcadell, will on Wednesday meet the secretary general of Sortu, Arnaldo Otegi, who is to visit the Catalan chamber at the invitation of the CUP party. The institution says that Forcadell generally receives the main leaders of political parties that visit the institution, and the Basque leader is no exception. Otegi will also have a meeting with the Catalan parliament’s foreign commission, which PSC has announced it has no intention of attending.
“PSC will not attend what it considers to be a pre-electoral tour by mister Otegi,” insisted the socialist spokeswoman, Eva Granados. Granados stressed that Otegi “has served a sentence”, and she pointed out that what the socialists “have done, do and will do is contribute to making peace” in the Basque Country. Having said that, she explained that her party did not consider it apt to be at the meeting set up by CUP, and she added: “We do not like this attempt at the Mandelasation of Otegi.”
Last week, CUP sent out a notice to all parties informing them that the Sortu leader would be coming to the chamber and that a meeting had been convened for half past one with the members of the foreign commission. It was assumed that neither Ciutadans (C’s) nor PP would attend the meeting. Presumably Forcadell will meet Otegi once the meeting ends, taking advantage of the midday recess. Otegi also plans in the afternoon to meet those parliamentary groups who ask for it. For the moment, only CUP and Junts pel Sí (JxSí) have shown an interest in the meeting.
In the evening, Otegi will be the protagonist of the event “Times of peace, winds of freedom. Solidarity is the tenderness of nations” that will take place in the former Fabra i Coats factory in Barcelona, organised by CIEMEN. Also there will be Joan Tardà, David Fernàndez, August Gil Matamala, Gemma Calvet, Lluís Llach, Gabriela Serra and Jordi Armadans, with musical performances by Feliu Ventura, Mireia Vives, Xavi Sarrià and Ovidi3.
