Deposed Catalonia leader surrenders to Belgian cops

Sacked Catalonia leader Carles Puigdemont and four associates turned himself in to Belgian police yesterday, the Brussels prosecutor's office said, following Spain's issuing of an arrest warrant.

He is wanted by Madrid for actions related to his push for the region's secession from Spain.

Puigdemont's move comes as two polls suggested pro-Catalonia independence parties will together take the most seats in December's regional election although they may fall just short of a majority needed to revive the secession campaign.

Parties supporting Catalonia remaining part of Spain would divide seats but garner around 54 percent of the vote, the polls suggested.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called the Dec 21 election after firing the previous government and imposing direct rule over the autonomous region following a unilateral declaration of independence.

According to a GAD3 survey of 1,233 people conducted between Oct 30 and Nov 3 and published in La Vanguardia newspaper, pro-independence parties ERC, PDECat and CUP would take between 66 and 69 seats in the 135-seat parliament.

A second poll taken over the same period for the conservative newspaper La Razon echoed the GAD3 survey, showing pro-independence parties would capture the most votes though still fall just shy of a parliamentary majority with 65 seats.

Other seats would be generally divided between parties supporting the region continuing to be part of Spain, but they parties are not allied.

Voter participation, however, will rise to a record of 83 percent, the poll showed.

Catalonia's statehood push has tipped Spain into its worst political crisis since its return to democracy four decades ago as surging pro-secession sentiment in the region has in turn kindled nationalism across the country.

Puigdemont travelled to Belgium shortly after Madrid took control and now faces charges for rebellion, sedition, misuse of public funds, disobedience and breach of trust relating to the secessionist campaign.