Catalans vote amid Spain stand-off

Catalans voted yesterday in a crucial election that could mark a turning point for their region, just two months after a failed secession bid triggered Spain's worst political crisis in decades.

High turnout was expected in a vote pitting leaders of the wealthy northeastern region's separatist movement against parties that want to remain in Spain.

Will voters again hand victory to pro-independence parties that tried to break Catalonia from Spain, one of whose candidates is in jail and the other in self-imposed exile in Belgium?

Or will they lose the absolute parliamentary majority of 72 seats they won in 2015?

Catalans on both sides of the divide saw the day as a potential moment of truth for their region, following weeks of upheaval and protests unseen since democracy was reinstated following the death in 1975 of dictator Franco.

"Today's vote is about whether we say yes or no to independence in Catalonia," said Gloria Garcia, a telephone operator in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a working class suburb of Barcelona.

While the independence question is far from new, it was the banned referendum on October 1 -- and a heavy police crackdown on voters -- that focused the world's attention on the region.

Some 5.5 million people are registered to vote in yesterday's election which is likely to see seven parties winning mandates in the 135-seat regional parliament.