Spanish Socialists to hold vital meeting on Sunday

The Spanish Socialists Party (PSOE) will hold the meeting of their federal committee on Sunday, Oct. 23, which may decide Spain's political future, it was announced Tuesday.

The decision was announced after a meeting of the PSOE's management committee after the resignation of Pedro Sanchez as party leader two weeks ago.

The committee will decide whether the PSOE will vote against acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in an investiture vote held in the Spanish Congress, or whether to abstain.

The latter option would allow the People's Party (PP) to form a minority government with the support of center-right party Ciudadanos.

The choice has deeply divided the Socialists, forcing Sanchez's resignation a fortnight ago.

Javier Fernandez, the president of the management committee, once again made it clear he favors an abstention on Tuesday, commenting it was the "least bad" option facing the party.

However, other important party figures, such as Miquel Iceta, the leader of the Catalan branch of the PSOE, and Miguel Tudanca, who leaders the party in the region of Castilla-Leon, have both said voting against Rajoy is the only coherent action the PSOE can take.

Those opposed to allowing Rajoy to govern fear it would mean the Socialists would be unable to carry out any credible opposition and allow the left-wing Podemos to take up the role as leaders of the opposition.

If Spanish parties cannot agree on forming a government, it would force a third general election in a year in the country. Endit