Separatist lawmaker Quim Torra, candidate for regional president, leaves the chamber at the end of the parliamentary session in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, May 12, 2018. Catalonia's separatists have failed to elect a new leader for the restive Spanish region, likely leaving them with one more chance to form a government or face new elections. Candidate Quim Torra fell short on Saturday of the absolute majority of 68 votes needed to be elected on a first round. Torra, a fervent secessionist, will have a second opportunity on Monday when only a simple majority of more "Yes" than "No" votes is required. less </s> Catalonia’s separatists have failed to elect a new leader for the restive Spanish region, likely leaving them with one more chance to form a government before a new election is called.

Candidate Quim Torra fell short on Saturday of the absolute majority of 68 votes needed to be elected in the first round. Torra, a fervent secessionist, will have another chance during a second round on Monday, when only a simple majority of more “yes” than “no” votes is required.

In-fighting among separatist parties left Quim two votes short. Four members of the radical far-left CUP party abstained.

The party plans to decide Sunday how its lawmakers will vote during the second round.

Catalonia’s pro-independence parties risk an election being automatically triggered if they don’t form a government by May 22. </s> Catalonia's parliament has elected hard-line separatist Quim Torra as the Spanish region's new leader. The divided parliament voted 66 in favour, 65 against and 4 abstentions for the election of Torra, who was handpicked by the region's exiled former leader, Carles Puigdemont. </s> Quim Torra, a lawmaker from Junts per Catalunya party, was backed by 66 lawmakers, 65 were against, while four abstained.

The candidate was backed by his own party and the Republican Left of Catalonia. However, the parties that object to Catalonia's independence voted against him, while the four representatives of the pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy abstained.

READ MORE: Catalan Parliament Allows Regional Government Head to Be Elected in Absence

A new round of voting is scheduled for Monday. To win in the first round, Torra needed an absolute majority, or 68 votes. At Monday's second round, he can win with a simple majority.

Earlier in May, Catalan lawmakers voted in favor of an amendment that would allow the regional president to be elected without his or her presence in the parliament, in a move that could return former leader Carles Puigdemont, who is in self-imposed exile, to power.
Quim Torra gets 66 votes, 2 short of the 68 votes needed to be elected by an absolute majority of the 135-seat Parliament of Catalonia. A second round is to be held on Monday, in which he would need a simple majority to be elected.