Catalan crisis: Carles Puigdemont welcome to run in poll, says Spain

The central government in Madrid has ordered that fresh elections for the regional Parliament of Catalonia should take place in December.

It stripped Catalonia of its autonomy after the Catalan Parliament voted to declare independence.

Mr Puigdemont is urging "democratic opposition" to direct rule from Madrid. He condemned the suspension of Catalonia's autonomy and promised to continue to "work to build a free country".

Spain has been gripped by a constitutional crisis since an independence referendum, organised by Mr Puigdemont's separatist government, was held earlier this month in defiance of a ruling by the Constitutional Court which had declared it illegal.

The Catalan Government said that of the 43% of potential voters who took part, 90% were in favour of independence.

Friday saw the regional Parliament declare independence, with Madrid responding by declaring the move illegal.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy then announced the dissolution of the regional Parliament and the removal of Mr Puigdemont as Catalan leader, and ordered that fresh regional elections should be held.

Saturday saw the government in Madrid remove Catalonia's autonomy and take over government functions in the region.

An official state bulletin (in Spanish) handed control of Catalonia to Spain's Deputy Prime Minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria.

And Spain's Interior Ministry took charge of Catalonia's police after firing senior Catalan police officials.

A central government spokesman in Madrid, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, said Mr Puigdemont had the right to continue in politics, despite his removal from office.

"I'm quite sure that if Puigdemont takes part in these elections, he can exercise this democratic opposition," he said.