By Hanadi Watfa
MADRID, March 15 (KUNA) -- Spain is suffering a political stalemate in the wake of the Socialist Party (PSOE) leader Pedro Sanchez's failure on Friday, the second in less than a week, to secure parliamentary backing for his bid to become prime minister.
Sanchez's failure, the first time a candidate had lost both confidence votes since Spain returned to democracy in the mid-1970s, has set the clock ticking on a two-month window for parties to form an alternative majority before May 2.
The last vote almost ended all hope of a speedy resolution to the country's political stalemate.
Amid such complicated political situation, the country is most likely heading to new elections that could, unluckily, repeat the fragmented scene.
On Friday March 4, Sanchez only needed the simple majority, while in the first he needed 176 votes from the total 350. Unfortunately, in the second time he received 131 votes, 90 of them from the Socialists. 219 MPs voted against him, which was widely expected.
Since December 20, an "ongoing" government is taking care of the country's affairs, with limited executive powers, at the time when the unemployment rate in the Kingdom hit 22 percent, as the fragile economy is still trying to recover from the 2008 financial mayhem.
Unless a new majority is concluded by May 2, the parliament would be dissolved and Spaniards will have to return to the ballot box, most likely on June 26. According to analysts, such an outcome is looking increasingly certain.
Potential candidates are acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, leader of the center-right People's Party (PP) which has 123 parliamentary seats, and Sanchez, who count on his party's 90 seats and 40 from Ciudadanos in the 350-seat lower house of Parliament.
On the ground, the stalemate is likely to carry on as the four main parties, PSOE, PP, Ciudadanos and Podemos refuse to set together, due to the disparity of their ideologies, priorities and goals.
Almost all political powers in the country agreed not to support Rajoy,60, as several members of the ruling party have been involved in political and financial corruption.
By the same token, Sanchez is caught between a rock and a hard place, as his agreement with Ciudadanos closed the door for the left-wing parties that hoped they could form a leftist government with him.
The last general elections, held on 20 December 2015, resulted in the most fragmented Spanish parliament in its history.
PP emerged as the largest party overall with 123 seats, PSOE obtained 90, Podemos 69 and Ciudadanos 40. (end) hnd.msa