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Spain moves closer to fresh election as political parties fail to strike gov't formation deal

Xinhua, April 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

Spain on Monday moved closer to a fresh general election at the end of June after the left-wing Podemos party voted against supporting a pact between the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and center-right Citizens to form a coalition government.

Monday's results showed that slightly under 150,000 members cast their vote in the ballot, with 88.32 percent of those who voted, opting to reject the conditions and just 11.7 percent choosing to support the proposal which was made earlier in the month when Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias met representatives of both the PSOE and Citizens.

A political deadlock has existed in Spain since the Dec. 20 general elections produced a hung parliament.

Podemos and its associated parties have 69 members in the Spanish Congress and their support is vital if the PSOE and Citizens, who together have 130 members, are to win an investiture vote in the 350-seat chamber.

According to the Spanish Constitution, if no government is formed by May 2, Congress will be dissolved and new elections called on June 26.

Next week, Spanish King Felipe VI will hold a third round of talks with party leaders in an attempt to try and break the deadlock. Enditem