No polls regardless of Catalan vote outcome: Spanism PM

Madrid, Dec 11 (IANS) Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Monday that whatever the results in the Catalan regional elections on December 21, he had no intention of calling a general election.

Polls predict that the December 21 vote will be very close between parties in favor and against Catalan independence, although Rajoy's Peoples' Party is expected to lose votes and seats and take less than six percent of the total vote, Xinhua reported.

However, speaking at a meeting organised by Europa Press, Rajoy insisted people should not pay too much attention to opinion polls, and said that even if a bad result did happen, it would not force him to the national polls before the scheduled date of June 2020.

"There doesn't have to be any early general elections as a result of the elections in Catalonia.

"Mandates usually last for four years, unless there are exceptional circumstances," said Rajoy, who refused to say whether he would be a candidate for a third mandate, explaining it was a decision he would take "in the future".