MADRID, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The political stalemate continues in Spain just a week before the start of the investiture debate in which the leader of the Spanish Socialist Party Pedro Sanchez hopes to return to power as prime minister.
Sanchez on Monday used a radio interview to accuse the leader of the left wing Unidos Podemos party, Pablo Iglesias, of unilaterally breaking off talks between the two parties.
Sanchez made his declarations after Iglesias said he would consult with Podemos members over whether his party should support Sanchez in next week's investiture vote.
The two party leaders have held several meetings and conversations over the past few weeks to decide on the formula, which would see Iglesias' party support Sanchez's bid to return to office, but with just a week until the investiture is due to be held in the Spanish Congress of Deputies, the pair appear to be further than ever from finding a solution.
The Socialist leader accused Iglesias of organizing the consultation among Podemos members as "a masquerade to justify voting no."
"This is a unilateral ending of the talks. It is shutting the door," said Sanchez in an interview with radio station Cadena Ser on Monday.
"There are many things you can say about the consultation," commented Sanchez, explaining he had made several offers to Iglesias, all of which had been rejected and lamenting that the way things currently stand is that Podemos will "vote alongside the far right" in the investiture.
Sanchez, whose party won 123 seats in the April general election, needs to win an overall majority of 176 votes in the 350 seats Congress to be confirmed as prime minister in next Tuesday's investiture vote.
If he fails to win an overall majority on Tuesday, a simple majority in a second vote held 48 hours later would be enough to put him back in office. However, he needs the support of the 42 Podemos deputies and some minority parties to abstain.
Spain's right wing People's Party (PP), Ciudadanos and Vox have all confirmed they will oppose Sanchez's efforts to become prime minister.
If Sanchez loses both votes next week, he has a further two months before another investiture debate, but he implied he would prefer to call another general election, saying "there are no second parts, my candidacy ends in July." Enditem
