Ousted Catalan leader says ready to stand in snap regional election

MADRID – Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, who left Spain for Belgium after his government was sacked following a unilateral declaration of independence, said on Friday he was ready to stand in a snap election in the region next month.

Puigdemont ignored a court order to return to Spain on Thursday to answer charges of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds relating to Catalonia's independence push.

"I am ready to be a candidate... it's possible to run a campaign (for the election) from anywhere," Puigdemont told Belgian state television RTBF.