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 Saturday 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 give the green light to the formation of internal currents within ERC. 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 approval for a transaction with management.

The strategic and political presentation

In addition to these amendments to the statutory proposal, the New National Left also submitted amendments to 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 is one that 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 "breaking with the regime of '78." In total, between the political and strategic reports, Nova Esquerra Nacional claims to have incorporated eight amendments and transacted 26.

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 include non-separatists in the party's definitionAccording to several sources consulted, this issue is still being negotiated and there is still no agreement between the two parties to finalize the text.