BARCELONA — Spanish authorities are leaving separatists in Catalonia with no other option but to push ahead with declaring independence for the wealthy northeastern region, its vice president said Wednesday.

Spain has announced plans to fire Catalonia’s government and directly manage its affairs after the region held an independence vote that was declared illegal by the country’s constitutional court. Residents of Catalonia, including many who don’t back independence, have been aghast at what they feel is Spain’s heavy-handed response.

Catalan Vice President Oriol Junqueras said his party — one of two in the separatist coalition now governing Catalonia — rejected calling an early regional election as a way out of the political deadlock because it believes that Catalans already have chosen independence.

Spain’s Constitutional Court has ruled against the Oct. 1 referendum that Catalonia’s government held, and central authorities in Madrid say the vote’s results are invalid. The vast majority of those who voted backed independence, but the vote had many problems, including police violence to stop it.

Junqueras said his party would ‘‘work toward building a republic, because we understand that there is a democratic mandate to establish such a republic.’’

He said he was speaking only on behalf of his Republican Left party and not for the regional government. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is to address regional lawmakers in parliament Thursday evening.