Separatists are projected to retain a majority in the Catalan regional parliament, according to initial results from Thursday’s election. The region has been rocked by political chaos and uncertainty since an independence referendum earlier this year. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dissolved the regional government after the vote and ordered an election after the majority of Catalans voted in favor of independence. Voter turnout exceeded 80 percent on Thursday. Some top leaders of pro-independence parties are either behind bars or in other countries where they were forced to seek refuge.
