Off the wire
• Lavrov, Kerry call for quick resumption of intra-Syrian talks  • Urgent: Oil prices gain amid upbeat job data  • Urgent: U.S. dollar declines on mixed jobs data  • 1st LD Writethru: Gold up on weaker U.S. dollar  • Los Angeles police investigating knife found on property owned by Simpson  • Levir Culpi to be new Fluminense coach  • Roundup: Greek political leaders seek common ground on refugee crisis, as 30,000 people stranded in Greece  • Spotlight: EU's Tusk shuttles to find way to tackle refugee crisis  • WFP warns against worsening El Nino-related drought in Southern Africa  • Study shows New York airports most delayed in U.S.  
You are here: 　 Home

Sanchez fails in second bid to become Spain's prime minister

Xinhua, March 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) leader, Pedro Sanchez, on Friday failed in his second attempt to be named as the new Prime Minister of Spain after receiving just 131 votes in favor with 219 against in the investiture vote held in the Spanish Congress.

The defeat made Sanchez the first party leader to lose two investiture debates in Spain.

Virtually nothing else changed as the Socialists who won 90 seats in the December 20th general election, were only able to count on the support of the 40 deputies of center-right Citizens (C's) while every other party, with the exception of the single deputy of the Canary Island coalition, voted against his investiture.

Acting Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, whose party won 123 seats in the general election, but turned down the chance to form a new government a month ago, poured scorns on Sanchez's attempt to replace him at the head of government saying his fiesta had "come to an end."

Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias also criticized Sanchez, but offered the PSOE leader the chance to form a coalition with his left-wing party, saying that although a pact between the two parties was neither's first option, it gave Spain the chance of a 'progressive government'.

King Felipe VI will hold further talks with party leaders in the coming days in an attempt to find an new candidate to become Prime Minister, but if no candidate is able to form a government before May 3rd Congress will be dissolved and new elections called for June 26. Endit