The Spanish Senate was due to vote on the Madrid government's unprecedented plans to seize control of the autonomous region of Catalonia on Friday, as the crisis over the province's bid for independence comes to a head.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy plans to dissolve the Catalan parliament under a never-before-used article of the country's constitution, vowing to remove the region's elected leaders as soon as possible and hold new elections. The Senate -- where Rajoy's Popular Party has a majority -- must first approve the measures, drawn up under Article 155 of the constitution.