Catalonia's pro-independence politician Quim Torra has been elected president of the restive Spanish region, bringing an end to five months of political deadlock.
Torra, hand-picked by former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont for the presidency, won a simple majority in the 135-seat Catalan parliament on Monday during a second round of voting. The final tallies - 66 votes in favour, 65 against, and four abstentions - had been insufficient on Saturday for the absolute majority he needed to win in the first round.
"We will be loyal to the mandate of the referendum on self-determination on October 1: build a sovereign state in the form of a republic," Torra said in parliament after the vote.
Torra also struck a more conciliatory tone towards non-secessionists in the region - and towards the central government in Madrid. "We do not want a uniform Catalonia, but rather one united in diversity," he said.
Torra said that, as president, he would work for a "republic for all," in which "everyone will enjoy all of their rights."
Torra's election brings an end to the political paralysis that has persisted in Catalonia since fresh regional elections on December 21 yielded a parliamentary majority for a pro-independence coalition.
Last week, in a widely circulated video on social media, Puigdemont renounced his candidacy for president and suggested Torra assume the post.
Puigdemont was president of Catalonia in October when the region held a referendum on independence from Spain, which the country's Supreme Court declared illegal. The Spanish central government subsequently dissolved the Catalan regional parliament and charged Puigdemont and several of his deputies with sedition. Puigdemont fled the country shortly afterwards.
Prior to Monday's vote, four previous attempts to form a government and choose a president had failed because the presidential candidates were either in self-imposed exile or in custody.
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