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Roundup: Spain begins important fortnight for its political future

Xinhua, October 17, 2016 Adjust font size:

Spain faces a vital and uncertain fortnight which will determine whether or not the country will have a new government after 10 months of stalemate or have its third general election within a year.

Spanish electoral law states that unless a new government is formed by Oct. 31, the Congress will be dissolved and a general election will be called.

At the moment only People's Party leader Mariano Rajoy stands a chance of forming a government. But with just 137 seats in the 350-seat Congress, he needs the support of center-right party Ciudadanos, who have 32 seats, and need the Socialist Party (PSOE) to abstain in an investiture vote in order to form a minority government.

Following the resignation of Pedro Sanchez as PSOE leader after a chaotic party meeting a fortnight ago, the Socialists are currently in the hands of a management committee presided over by Javier Fernandez, the leader of the party in the region of Asturias.

In contrast to Sanchez, who was opposed to allowing Rajoy to govern, Fernandez has commented on several occasions that he favors an abstention in order to avoid a heavy electoral defeat for the divided PSOE.

However, Fernandez has also said the decision has to be taken at a meeting of the party's federal committee which will be at the end of this week. Party leaders will then hold a third round of talks with King Felipe VI on Oct. 24 and 25.

However, some PSOE leader such as Miquel Iceta from the Catalan branch of the party said giving way to Rajoy would "deactivate us as opposition."

Depending on what happens at the PSOE federal committee, Rajoy will know whether or not he will be able to form a government and call an investiture debate after the discussions with the Spanish king.

Spanish electoral law states a prospective prime minister has to win an overall majority (176 votes) in the first investiture vote, or a simple majority in a second vote held 48 hours later.

The timescale means the investiture debate will only start on Oct. 26 with the first vote held on the Oct. 27 and the second on Oct. 29 at the earliest.

Looming corruption scandals accusing the PP of involvement in a wide-ranging cash-for-favors scandal could make it harder for parties to support Rajoy.

If that were the case, Spaniards will go back to the polls -- a scenario that most want to avoid. Endit