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1st LD: Third general election looms in Spain after Rajoy again defeated in investiture vote

Xinhua, September 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Friday failed in his second bid to win an investiture vote in the Spanish Congress on Friday, thus opening the door for Spain to hold its third general election in 12 months.

In contrast to Wednesday's vote, Rajoy only needed a simple majority in the 350 seat Congress rather than the overall majority required just 48 hours earlier.

However, as on Wednesday Rajoy could only count on 170 votes in his favor, the 137 votes from the members of his right wing Popular Party (PP), plus the 32 of center-right formation, Ciudadanos and one vote from Coalition Canarias.

Meanwhile every other party in Congress, including the Socialist Party (PSOE), Podemos and various Catalan and Basque nationalist parties voted against him with the opposition totaling 180 votes. Endit