from colombo we understand shots were fired stones were thrown at this convoy an attempt to make some sort of roadblock was made but nobody was injured in the convoy carried on i'd have to say compared to sri lanka elections in the past this is actually a pretty calm and peaceful election campaign hasn't been a lot of reports of votes on to me intimidation although this clearly was an example of it overnight nevertheless as i say those people able to go on to vote. and chile's government is promising a new referendum on the new constitution it's a key demands of protesters who've been rallying for more than a month now the current constitution was enacted string the military dictatorship well they're sure to date stay with us and al-jazeera the news consider it continues after talks officer. from questions to my special guests and challenging them to some straight talking

political debate here on al-jazeera. the. catalonia is a region in the northeast of spain it is partially autonomous but in recent years independent sentiments have risen among. in fact. the former leader of the regional government challenge and called for a referendum. that executive office. over 2 years ago to discuss with the president. his plan for independence this.

but. the unofficial referendum went ahead on october 1st 2007. that. there was a violent crackdown with back to rubber bullets used against voters. but when the ballots were counted claimed an overwhelming victory for secession. even though less than half of the registered voters in catalonia took part in the referendum. among the don't count on your. and formidable. demand then announced catalonia as independence from spain and october 27th 2017 but the declaration was suspended just 8 seconds later and instead invited madrid to open a dialogue the invitation was rebuffed as madrid considered the referendum illegal

and the dense banished prime minister by the end of the holy invoked constitutional powers and fired him on and his cabinet the deposed catalan president fled to belgium members of his government were taken into custody including puts demands number 2 or you'll get us he was sentenced to 13 years for sedition and misuse of public funds. in may 2018 catalonia parliament elected. a close ally of the moment as the new president. dora has continued with the pro independence agenda this banished electoral 30 demanded to take down all separatist symbols from the government's headquarters he did so but only after court deadline had expired thora is now expected to be tried for disobedience under 18.

the general election last week the focal point for many candidates was the political crisis here now. but the far right vox party also made substantial gains so what does that mean for catalonia looking forward and what the future holds for president after his upcoming appearance in court the president of the regional government. talks to. president of the regional government of catalonia thank you for talking to thank you for being here 2 years ago i was in this same building doing an interview with . him on and after that many things happened the referendum

and all the turmoil that followed. it. could things have happened differently yes things could happen happened differently but we are where we are now we are after 2 years there are. previous government of the government of president put them on in jail the other half with the same president with the mourner in exile the repression continues so the situation now is very complicated i think that this grave. is something that we are putting on the table every day to the spanish government i'm trying to talk with the president scientific every day saying ok the situation is grave the people who sang because you know there was this sentence against our colleagues with 100 year of preaching for them so we have to come back to what is.

the essence of the conflict of catalonia that we have to find a political solution for these political issue that the catalans one to decide by themselves their own future many pro independence catalans i spoke to you. fully back the cause. have been telling me that they didn't understand why there was a declaration of independence that last as they say 8 seconds and then was revoked and maybe that has actually harmed your cause rather it vance it you have to take in consideration. the repression has been very tough but always the government has been attacking every decision the parliament of catalonia took then. and i will fall what is important seeing back what we need 2 years ago is that all

the decisions that the parliament of catalonia took in those days they took it democratically by the majority of the seats of the chambre so it was a democracy process we furthermore credit solution well let's come to today you just said that you were you've been trying to speak every day to disparage prime minister pedro sanchez have you been trying to reach out to him since the elections took place on november 10th the same night of this election so i try i tried to get him to put in contact with him it was not possible the day after i tried to again to to to phone him he was busy so if he picks up the phone and the answer is i'm sure you would tell him something more than let sick sit and talk you would have some sort of offer on the table or some sort of idea to put forward what would be that yes of course i think the 1st thing that we have to put on the table is that

going to be negotiation without any conditions from that i'm side the government side we're going to put on the table what we think that could be a solution for the conflict that is an agreed referendum internationally validated in order to give to the people to see if they want to be independent or not from. these go around the government of spain to put their solution in the stable of negotiation in that way these negotiations can a start but isn't that somehow a nonstarter because he has been very clear that he won't go against the constitution that the referendum is not under table so where will be that meeting point well 1st we have to. repeat the proposal of the government of spain. we've never heard anything about about that

during this year and a half so. spain going to give to the catalans unity to the side by the buy back by themself their own future not. that is this is the question you know what these the proposal of spain for catalonia independence seems the ultimate goal and probably the most difficult to achieve also because you know you also need to know whether the majority of the catalans want to turn you out then at the moment if we look at the results of elections it's not sure what else would you accept would you accept more autonomy some sort of economic arrangement what would be acceptable for you i can tell you that because as i told you there was. never have been a proposal from spain we don't know what spain is offering us as

a starting point of these negotiations you know and that's the point in. this question you have to ask to to mr sanchez what is spain going to offer to catalonia to start these negotiations i'm not going to start a negotiation just for a photo no this has to be a serious negotiation we've. already later just to give you know a formality to these negotiations between 2 governments of all and of spain and the catalonia sitting together and finding. and giving political solution to the catalan people are not up to the spanish people this is not there anymore an internal conflict of spain is a conflict of europe it's a conflict of a nation that want to give to the people the right to decide their future by themselves you said you're still trying to have

a phone conversation with the spanish prime minister pederast sent he is in a difficult position because he doesn't have a majority to former coalition so catalan parties could play a role in that couldn't. yes absolutely. i think that after these 4 months. disappeared between the the previous elections and then the last elections of last sunday. even depend more independent these parties than before. and what we are going to ask mr sanchez ok obviously and offer pressure. to sit together in the. table of negotiations with no conditions that means that we are going to put in that they will these referendum these right of catalonia to serve that their mission and we want to ask mr scientist the nasty. the amnesty sorry for our colleagues in prison so you have

a long list of demands and while you feel that this is a time maybe where because of his political situation. you could get more of a chance to be listened to this is nothing that he's new party he's no partying though or a man of the most defended me that's probably the most in catalonia has defended. political prisoners should should should be free they have defend referendum for a couple onya and they have defended the amnesty for. political prisoners so if now these parties going to be part of the government of spain i think that we are very close to to the solution if you look at the results of the elections for catalonia the pro independence parties got 23 seats to 48 so not the majority no. way you speak you feel

quite confident that you are stronger then before the elections yes because we have added more boats we have. more members of the chambres if you add to this 237. members of the chambre of. march and then there's 30 members. of the chambre that are defending these 3 points i'm nice to see. referendum and of repression saw. 30 from. much more than 23 so i think that. this is something that. and publishers they have to take in consideration i presumed.

their colleagues from catalonia not going to forget their promises in the last campaign do you feel that this is. a historical opportunity for the catalan cause absolutely not for a couple and i think for spain as well and even for europe i think it is an historical moment to really. built all together a big consensus consensus base it on on freedom. and human rights civil and social rights and what would you do with those cattle lands who are not favoring independence who could be a slight majority. well the better way to know. which part is. to count saw using

a democratic tool as a referendum letting the people knowing what they want is the best way to know if the people of the people only want to be independent or not. and if all this doesn't work. pederast sanchez says no there will be no referendum they will be you won't get any of your demands what would you do next well we will vote no in that case i need will depend again on the decisions that could take mr sanchez. 4 months ago he had many opportunities to build the government from oriented to one side or to another while he decided to go to elections and now after these elections we've become stronger while he will decide europe didn't really embrace the cause that it sort of kept a little bit on the margins in the sense that you probably when mr putin one went

to brussels he probably expected more pressure. coming from brussels on the government in madrid that didn't really happen. and it will be disappointed by the position of the european union but from the other side was was the people was the citizens of europe and we feel very close to this europe that. is the unit that we feel ourself. commute it soon a power fraternity that you know of solidarity the europe that helps the. people of the world to be free of the one. ok but it's so europe there's also having another problem with the rise of the far right which which happened also in spain and one could say that part of this rise of the vox party was also the catalonia issue they talked about it over and over again in their campaign

and they rallied an incredible amount of support for that absolutely and this is something terrible something terrible in fact this is maybe. the worst problem that spain has now the rights of fast seem in spain and see when you see the results of the elections last sunday you see how important is vox in a spain how few important nice books in catalonia you know so who has the problem with box the rest of us spain of catalonia. we were a rich the political parties in a spain to find the solution for 4 or 4 of these these very critical issue ok moving on they were called from the streets coming for spain to sit and talk which

is basically the mantra of this online group tsunami democratic juno who's behind it no not at all not at all is really very surprising what has happened with these. movement organisation because we don't know exactly what these tsunami democratic but what we see is that there are many many people following these these movement. they say that they are acting. using the civilians but always with the nonviolence i am asking you this because your party didn't get alone you have also talked about digital independent. and it seems that this democratic tsunami is about this digital independence so i'm just wondering what kind of link is there no i think there's no link at all between. my party or even though our money is doing with tsunami democratic that is something

apart we don't know who is behind we don't know what they are going to do in the future as we didn't know what or where they planned in the past so you're absolutely sure the democratic tsunami has no link or no backing whatsoever for. cattle and leaders because it seems you know that their protests sort of start and quite conveniently depending on a political agenda which usually when there is street protest and pressure grassroots protests usually it goes on unlimited i can tell you they have no clue of what they want to do and what is going to be the next act of tsunami democratic no idea and i think that no one in this country knows it but

that and on the other hand could be quite dangerous i mean if you have a shadowy group online who nobody knows. who it how it's fun who can mobilize people on the street that could backfire as well yeah but what we are after these days weeks grieving. the statements of. their scene in their communication etc etc i think that the people. feeling that this is a democratic movement that there is no violence at all the want to push for this idea of a spin. always democratical involved i think that people are feeling that saw at least at this point. while.

conceding that something very close to them because we asked many of the protesters who is behind yeah and what some said we don't know others said the same people who organize a referendum in 2017 so there is that belief on the street. really no no idea at all no idea at all because in never. told me anything about it about. let's you were talking about the protesters and they were nonviolent but there have been some writing and you came maybe under criticism for being a bit slow in condemning that violence why did it take you so long. because we were you know in this election process while depreciation uses these are human and just to say your daughter is not condemning

violence i believe that all times and i repeat it the violence is not compatible with then dependence process of catalonia it doesn't represent us most of the protests have been nonviolence. especially these last few days but following the sentencing of the 9 catalan leaders which enraged a lot of people here there were scenes of violence and we spoke to people and they said you may have been a bit harsh with the police with the most of the cattle and police putting a bit of the blame on them rather than giving them the political cover that their regional president should. police all my super but obviously as we saw there were some images that really shocked us and that we i what they said was that

probably all these images out of the protocols that the police should should follow and what what they said and what the strong to believe just because to to return the confidence of the people of catalonia to police is that in that cases these cases should be investigated just to know exactly if we followed the protocols and and the good practices that should be followed by by the by the police or not and would you consider declaring independence again the dependence of catalonia will come i think that is something that nobody will stop it ok but now it's time to build all the. parties in catalonia a very strong agreement base it in the point of freedom amnesty and how

we are going to i just say this again our right of self-determination. you know the . more money you saying we're going to get him that is something that in the street you will hear ok we say yes of course. the write off so that i'm a nation again but we have learned some of these previews here that to point out. you know maybe not the best way to do the thing so. ok let's be stronger let's build up these great consensus between all of us. then we arise and of our right of self-determination. president of the regional government thank you very much for talking to thank you very much for giving us to put to explain what is this edition got the money and really is

a pleasure having you here in. the u.s. is a tipping point. are telling us right now that we have just 12 years as the world's leaders to agree on a solution. taking to the. with the significant it's one of the songs that it kills people and it kills people now it's critical to both fronts return to the people. investigative journalist he was pretty sure it was going global experts in discussion 3 times you put a deal and you disagreed with that deal because of the terrible twos the worst of the it was brought to us we're going to stories from our. open your eyes to an alternative view of the world today you have to rethink pretty much everything.

thank you for talking to al jazeera. programs to inspire you on al-jazeera. a story 1400 years in the making. a story of succession and leadership. and jesse a tells the story of a client of dentist and the. account of a percent 3 on. a caribbean doomsday cult as would hundreds of fellow was to what tropical. one i when a student mr gates the secretive sick accused of abuse and violence in fiji. on al-jazeera.

with bureaus spanning 6 continents across the globe. al-jazeera as correspondents live and bring the stories they tell of it was done nothing but good news never the less the staff. were at the mercy of the russian camp for palestinian refugees al-jazeera fluent in world news. al-jazeera. where ever you. really felt liberated as a journalist was. getting to the truth doesn't lie with that's what this job.

the but. i have the right to speak i have freedom of speech just as other people do. donald trump accused of attempting to intimidate the former ukrainian ambassador as she testified sat if each man's inquiry. on how he did and this is al jazeera a lot from doha also coming up a cease fire on the brink rockets and missiles are fired over the skies of gaza. that is to our very bangor crossing route as the government takes for prices by

50 percent so long. sri lankans are voting to elect a new leader with a.