title: Former Catalan leader Puigdemont seen regaining regional leadership
text: MADRID (Reuters) - Catalonia s separatist leader Carles Puigdemont was on track to regain the leadership of Spain s northeastern region after preliminary results showed a coalition of secessionist parties winning a majority in regional elections. Puigdemont went on self-imposed exile in Brussels in October after conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy sacked his regional government when they organized an illegal independence referendum and later proclaimed a Catalan republic. The separatist parties were seen getting a total of 70 seats in the 135-seat assembly, official data with 76 percent of the votes counted showed. Puigdemont s Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia) were seen winning 34 of those seats, ahead of two other separatist parties. Final results are expected after midnight. 