BARCELONA, Spain, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Residents of the Spanish region of Catalonia voted Sunday on an unofficial referendum seeking independence from Madrid, observers said.
The referendum was being boycotted by Spain's two main political parties, the Socialists and the conservative People's Party, and so its results probably won't be seen as indicative of the true levels of support for Catalan separatism, Euronews.net reported.
It said the idea of the referendum was launched in Catalan village of Arenya de Munt, north of Barcelona. Some 96 percent of voters in the town endorsed an independent Catalonia in September.
Analysts told Euronews.net that unlike the Basque region, where the drive for independence has resulted in terrorism and violence, residents of Catalonia have always preferred to seek more autonomy within the Spanish state.
