SPAIN: Elections in the Spanish region of Catalonia have once again failed to produce a clear winner with a majority sufficient to form a stable government.
Party leaders are faced with a tough task and have until December 1st to reach an agreement to find a workable coalition.
Three years ago the moderate nationalist Convergenia i Unión (CiU), which had governed the region for more than 20 years, was narrowly defeated by a 'tripartite' coalition of the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), the separatist Catalan Republican Left (ERC) and the Greens (ICVEUIA).
This trio of widely divergent parties made uncomfortable bedfellows.
They hold very different views and ambitions, but had one common aim - to force CiU out of power. The PSC leader and former mayor of Barcelona, Pasqual Maragall, was named "president" and formed his government.
It was almost immediately hit by a major crisis when it was revealed that his deputy-president, Josep Lluis Carod Rov a, leader of the separatist ERC, had met ETA terrorist leaders in their exile in France. The situation went from bad to worse as ERC - who want eventual independence - demanded ever greater autonomy for the region.
It wanted Catalonia to be described as a "nation" and insisted that the Catalan language became a compulsory first language in schools, universities and official buildings. Mr Maragall was eventually forced to call early elections and announced his resignation from politics. CiU once more became the largest party after Wednesday's elections, when it won 31.5 per cent of the votes and 48 seats in the 135-seat parliament - two seats more than 2003.
The PSC lost five seats, with only 28.8 per cent and 37 seats in the new chamber. The conservative Popular Party lost one of its 15 seats, and the ICV Greens increased its participation from nine seats to 12. ERC, which won 14 per cent of the vote and 21 seats - two less than 2003 - is determined to maintain its hold on power.
A surprise newcomer to the pa liament and to the political scene is the anti-nationalist Citizens for Catalonia (Ciutadans), who were standing for the first time. In less than a year they have signed up over 13,000 members.
Their campaign poster featured a naked man, signifying, according to their 27-year-old leader, Albert Rivera, that they have nothing to hide. He called for a new non-nationalist Catalonia where the people could speak either Catalan or Castillian Spanish.
This struck a chord with more than 89,000 voters on Wednesday when they cast their votes for Ciutadans, giving Mr Rivera and his party three seats in the chamber. Elections in Spain are almost always held on a Sunday to avoid interrupting the working week. But this often resulted in a low turnout as people enjoyed the weekend.
The decision to hold this week's elections in Catalonia on Wednesday was to encourage the electorate to vote. But the ploy failed dismally and the participation was only 57 per cent, the second lowest poll in 26 years.
Political observers believe he high abstention and the emergence of Ciutadans is a sign that the electorate is disillusioned with politicians and was a punishing the Socialists for the inefficiencies of the tripartite PSC, ERC and Green coalition.