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Leader of PSOE management committee wants to avoid third general election in Spain

Xinhua, October 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

Javier Fernandez, the leader of the management committee installed to oversee the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) after Pedro Sanchez's resignation as party leader on Saturday, said he doesn't want Spain to hold another general election.

Fernandez was speaking to the press on Monday after the meeting of the committee which has to run party affairs until the Party congress elects a new leader and Federal Committee to decide on party policy.

The PSOE are deeply divided over whether or not to abstain in an investiture vote to allow People's Party leader Mariano Rajoy to form a minority government.

However, the resignation of Sanchez, who was opposed to facilitating a return of the PP to power, has tipped power in favor of supporters of Susana Diaz, the leader of the PSOE in Andalusia, who is in favor of the party abstaining so as to allow a PP government rather than attempting to form a "progressive government" with left-wing party Podemos.

"I have made it clear that I do not want elections. That is my position and I am going to maintain it," said Fernandez. "The worst solution for the country and the PSOE is to have an election," he continued.

"Any solution for the governability of Spain is in the hands of the PSOE, although it is obvious that the PSOE has a problem and will be weakened by the decision it has to take," he continued, adding that the first task was for the Socialists to mend the deep divides as a result of the political infighting of the past week.

Any investiture vote must be held by the end of October, otherwise Spain's Congress will be dissolved for the second time in 2016 for the third general election, which should be held within 12 months. Endit