BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - Catalonia's leader on Tuesday said he had a mandate to declare independence from Spain but stopped short of actually doing so, suspending secession for "a few weeks" to pursue negotiations with the Spanish government.
The central government in Spain responded it did not accept the declaration of independence by the separatists and did not consider the Oct. 1 referendum or its results to be valid.
In his highly anticipated speech to the regional parliament, Catalan President Carles Puigdemont said the landslide victory in the referendum gave his government the grounds to implement its long-held desire to break century-old ties with Spain.
But he proposed the regional parliament "suspend the effects of the independence declaration to commence a dialogue, not only for reducing tension but for reaching an accord on a solution to go forward with the demands of the Catalan people."
"We have to listen to the voices that have asked us to give a chance for dialogue with the Spanish state," Puigdemont said.
That would help reduce political tensions and reach "an accord on a solution to go forward with the demands of the Catalan people," Puigdemont said.
About two dozen tractors flying secessionist flags paraded near parliament and thousands of separatists gathered in the promenade next to Barcelona's Arc de Triomf, where the movement's main grassroots group has called for a rally.
The Spanish government doesn't accept the "implicit" declaration of independence by the Catalan separatists and the results of a banned referendum can't be considered valid, an official said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with Spanish government policy, told the Associated Press the government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy cannot accept validating a Catalan referendum law suspended by Spain's Constitution and called the referendum "fraudulent and illegal."
Rajoy's government "considers it inadmissible to make an implicit declaration of independence and then leave it in suspension in an explicit manner," according to the official.
Puigdemont was highly critical of the Spanish government's response to the referendum and the violent police reaction that left hundreds injured on voting day, but said Catalans have nothing against Spain or Spaniards, and they want to understand each other better.
"We are not criminals, we are not crazy, we are not pulling off a coup, we are not out of our minds. We are normal people who want to vote," he said.
Opposition leader Ines Arrimadas of the Ciudadanos (Citizens) party slammed the speech.
"This is a coup. Nobody has recognized the result of the referendum. Nobody in Europe supports what you have just done," she said.
"Stop saying the Catalan people are united. Above all after what you have done. You have forced us to turn against one another," she said, addressing Puigdemont during the parliament session.
"The majority of Catalans feels they are Catalans, Spanish and Europe. We won't let you break our hearts into bits," Arrimadas said.
Socialist leader Miquel Iceta also was critical.
"You are proposing to suspend a declaration that hasn't been made, that's pretty tough," he said with irony.