LOC00:46
21:46 GMT
MADRID, Sept 29 (KUNA) -- Spain's constitutional court has suspended the Catalonia regional government's plans to launch a referendum seeking its independence from Spain, deeming the steps unconstitutional, local reports said on Monday.
The referendum was suspended as a "precautionary measure" and will be carried out five months after the Spanish Cabinet contests the decree issued by the regional Catalan government at the Constitutional Court.
The decree had originally set November 9 as the day a referendum would be held for Catalonia's separation from the rest of Spain.
The court said it would be assessing a request submitted by the Cabinet against the plans, adding in the meantime, that Catalonia would be given 20 days to provide its own claims for the investigation.
Earlier, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said that his government had planned to contest the decree, announced by President of the Catalan Government Artur Mas in 2013, which it deemed unconstitutional. (end)
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