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17 members of Spanish Socialist Party executive resign

Xinhua, September 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

The future of Pedro Sanchez as the leader of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) hangs in the balance after 17 members of the party's executive committee resigned on Wednesday.

The resignations include that of Ximo Puig, the first minister for the region of Valencia, and Emiliano Page, the first minister of Castilla-La Mancha.

Sanchez can no longer call for a party congress and primary elections to elect a party leader during Saturday's planned meeting of the PSOE federal committee.

The resignations mean that the committee no longer exists and as such means Sanchez's power as Socialist general secretary no longer exists, analysts said.

This move follows the PSOE's disastrous showing in the regional elections held in the Basque region and in the north-western community of Galicia over the weekend.

The PSOE saw their vote share fall to just 11.94 percent in the Basque region and 17.88 percent in Galicia.

Sanchez later admitted that there were divisions in his party over whether or not they should permit People's Party leader Mariano Rajoy to form a minority government in Spain and proposed a party Congress, saying "if anyone thinks they have a better project then now is the time for them to step forward and defend it."

However, Sanchez's position was weakened on Wednesday when former Spanish Prime Minister and PSOE leader Felipe Gonzalez gave an interview in which he accused Sanchez of lying over whether or not he would facilitate Rajoy's investiture. Endit