Catalan separatists aim to elect new regional president

MADRID – Separatist parties in Catalonia aim to elect one of their own as regional president by early next week, ending five months of political deadlock amid the restive region's attempts to secede from Spain.

The Catalan parliament says separatist lawmaker Quim Torra is set to be put forward for election in a vote Saturday.

But the pro-independence parties don't have enough votes to elect him in the first round, so a second round will be held Monday when Torra can be elected by their slender majority.

Catalonia has been without a president or government since a December regional election.

The Spanish government says it won't relinquish its administrative control over Catalonia until its leaders respect Spain's Constitution, which says Spain is "indivisible."