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Rajoy insists on 3-party coalition after second meeting with King

Xinhua, February 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Acting Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy again insisted on Tuesday that the solution to end the political stalemate in his country was a three-way coalition led by his Popular Party.

The December 20 general election left Rajoy's PP with 123 seats in the 350-seat congress, while the PSOE won 90, Podemos 69 and Citizens 40, leading to a hung parliament.

Speaking after his second meeting with King Felipe VI of Spain in 10 days, Rajoy again admitted he did not have the support to present his candidacy for Prime Minister at an investiture debate in the Spanish Congress and repeated he wanted "a government of the PP with the support of the PSOE and Citizens."

"I think this government makes total sense," he said, before adding he could not "guarantee the creation of a stable government for Spain," given the PSOE's refusal to negotiate with his party.

"I told the King we do not have the support," said Rajoy, before rejecting the idea he should step down as party leader.

"I think I have the opportunity to be Prime Minister and that is why I maintain my party's candidacy and mine," he said.

Earlier in the day PSOE leader, Pedro Sanchez told the King he was willing to try and form a government if Rajoy again rejected the invitation to try and reach agreements to enable him to put together a coalition government.

"I told the king that the Socialist Party is ready to form a government if Rajoy renounces his obligation," said Sanchez, adding his party would "take a step forward."

"Rajoy has given up on presenting a political project for Spaniards for the next four years," explained the Socialist leader, said it was the duty of his party to try and form a progressive coalition to end the political deadlock which has existed since the general election.

"I do not think Spaniards would understand it if the forces of change did not unite to bring this about," he said.

That may not be easy given the comments made by Pablo Iglesias, the leader of left wing formation, Podemos and Citizens' leader Albert Rivera after their respective meetings with King Felipe on Monday.

Iglesias had said that the PSOE had to choose between negotiating a pact with his party or with Citizens, as it was impossible to reach an agreement with both, while Rivera said that he intended to negotiate with both the PP and with the PSOE, adding that one requirement for speaking to the PSOE was that they had no agreement with Podemos. Endit