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Spanish Socialists refuse to support Rajoy in forming gov't

Xinhua, August 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

The leader of Spain's Socialist Party (PSOE), Pedro Sanchez, refused to support acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in the investiture, he announced Monday.

Sanchez said his party would vote against Rajoy, who asked for abstention in order to form a government after the latter's People's Party (PP) and center-right Ciudadanos signed an agreement on Sunday.

"It is Rajoy's exclusive responsibility," Sanchez said, "I think if we had reasons to vote against Rajoy in the investiture before, after his agreement with Rivera (leader of Ciudadanos), we have even more reasons."

"This is not our agreement. This agreement perpetuates the policies that brought inequality, precariousness, poverty and lack of opportunities for millions of Spaniards," Sanchez said.

Rajoy and Sanchez met on Monday morning to discuss the investiture after on Sunday PP and Ciudadanos had reached an agreement where Ciudadanos would support Rajoy in the investiture along with the Canaria coalition.

Sanchez said Rajoy did not offer anything in the meeting and he tried to paint the Socialists as responsible for the lack of government.

Meanwhile, Rajoy asked for abstention after the meeting saying "We have 52 seats more than the second force (Socialists), a big difference."

He said that Spain needed a government and that another general election would undermine the country's credibility. "We cannot afford having three general elections in a year," he said.

Spain held a general election for the second time in six months in June after December 2015. If parties do not reach an agreement to form government, the third general election would be held on Dec. 25 this year. Endit