Critics back down and withdraw amendments calling for a term limit on Junqueras

BarcelonaNew National Left, the alternative candidate to Oriol Junqueras, backtracks and withdraws the amendments they requested. Limit the term of the Republican president and separate the party presidency from institutional positionsThe texts were to be debated and voted on at the party congress being held this weekend in Martorell, because the leadership had refused to negotiate any compromise. This would have highlighted the clash between Junqueristas and critics. In a statement, the candidacy, led by Xavier Godàs and Alba Camps, explains that the leadership committed to opening this debate during "this term" to address these two issues "in depth." The amendments were debated in the territorial assemblies of recent days, but were only accepted in the Valencian Country.

"The candidacy has taken this step to prevent such a transcendent issue as the party's model from being overshadowed by personal debates," they state. However, they assert that New National Left "will not, under any circumstances, renounce defending these positions, which it considers to be of democratic quality in an organization and a strengthening of the party." Throughout the campaign for the first part of the congress—which served to elect the new leadership—Godàs and Camps had advocated a renewal of leadership and a step back for Junqueras, but also that Esquerra adopt the two-headed model adopted by parties like the PNV, and that, therefore, the person who presides over the party should not be the candidate for the candidates.

Nova Esquerra Nacional proposed limiting the term of the ERC president to 12 years, regardless of whether repression had prevented him from serving every year, especially in the case of disqualification. This would prevent Junqueras from running for reelection. Regarding the issue of a two-headed coalition, the candidacy specified that neither the president nor the secretary general of ERC "may hold institutional positions during their term." However, they specified that this would not take effect for another four years, and that, therefore, Elisenda Alamany could run for mayor of Barcelona if she wished. If Junqueras were no longer disqualified, he could run in the next Catalan elections.

New National Left had also presented an amendment to regulate internal currents within the party's statutes. According to various sources within the candidacy, this text has been negotiated with the leadership and, therefore, would push the proposal through. New National Left proposed that members who garner 3% of the support could create an internal current. The proposal had also been presented by Foc Nou and passed the Barcelona assembly's threshold for negotiation with the leadership.

The strategic and political presentation

In addition to these amendments to the statutory proposal, the New National Left also submitted the political and strategic proposals. In the case of the latter, which addresses the independence roadmap, the leadership has compromised on amendments that Godàs and Camps had presented, aiming to "strengthen the national left," as well as the commitment to hold a pro-sovereignty conference, the candidacy explains in a statement. Sources consulted by ARA explain that one of the compromised amendments advocated for a change in the state model toward a republic as a window of opportunity for the independence movement, and that it has been replaced with a break with "the regime of '78." In total, between the political and strategic proposals, the New National Left maintains that it has incorporated eight amendments and compromised on 26, which, they claim, represents the incorporation of 90% of its proposals.

The former spokesperson for ERC in Congress, Joan Tardà, had also presented amendments to the strategic report, specifically the proposal he had made to change article 2 of the statutes and include non-separatists in the party's definitionFinally, there has been no agreement with the leadership to transact the text, and the amendment will have to be voted on in the plenary session. "We understand that this refusal hinders the goal of broadening the base advocated by the leadership, insofar as it ignores the sovereignist left-wing citizens who defend the right to decide," criticized the faction led by Tardà in a statement, calling the decision "incomprehensible."