Spain's Socialists in turmoil amid political deadlock

By Alyssa McMurtry

MADRID

Half of Spain’s opposition Socialists’ executive quit late Wednesday in a bold move to oust party leader Pedro Sanchez, possibly bringing the country’s nine-month political deadlock one step closer to an end.

Seventeen members of the 35-strong executive committee turned their backs on Sanchez who has led the party since 2014 through poor election results and has been widely blamed for the ongoing impasse in Spain.

The country remains without an agreed government after two inconclusive general elections.

Sanchez has firmly defended his position to vote against a government run by acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

The sudden munity comes the same day Felipe Gonzalez -- Spain’s former Socialist prime minister -- said Sanchez “let him down” by not abstaining, thereby allowing the Popular Party's Rajoy to govern.

“The Socialists must abstain. I feel this way more strongly than ever today,” said Gonzalez in a radio interview on SER Wednesday morning.

This is an unprecedented situation and the next steps for the feuding party are unclear.

Cesar Luena, the Socialists’ organizational secretary, told a news conference the party would hold an extraordinary congress Thursday morning to run a leadership contest and vote for a new executive committee.

Antonio Pradas, one of the Socialists who resigned, told Spanish media outside party headquarters activists had denied him access to his office.

“Luena can’t convoke a congress… Luena isn’t the secretary of the organization anymore,” said Pradas.

Irene Montero, a Podemos party lawmaker, said in a news conference the resignations were a “democratic fraud” and added: “Disgracefully, we are a step closer to a Mariano Rajoy government.”