Separatist Mas wins Catalonia election

Separatist advocate Artur Mas was re-elected president of Spain's autonomous Catalonia region, but his party lost 12 parliamentary seats, results indicated. The final count indicated Mas' party, Convergence and Union, had 50 seats after Sunday's election, ThinkSpain reported Monday. The Republicans Left of Catalonia Party picked up 11 seats for a 21-seat total and the Catalonia Socialist Party fell to 20 seats after losing eight. Observers said Mas and his party had been expected to win by a landslide because his platform was focused on Catalonia becoming a separate country, independent from Spain. Spain's central government has refused to back any of Catalonia's attempts to break away, ThinkSpain said.