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Spain's king wraps up talks on snapping political stalemate

Spain's king wraps up talks on snapping political stalemate

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Spain's King Felipe VI, left, poses with Ciudadanos party leader Albert Rivera before a meeting at the Zarzuela Palace in Madrid, Spain, Thursday Jan. 21, 2016. King Felipe VI is meeting with political party leaders before nominating one to try to form a new Spanish government following an inconclusive national election last month. Traditionally, the monarch invites the election winner to form a government, but he can opt for other leaders if they can deliver a more stable option. (Angel Diaz, Pool Photo via AP)

MADRID: Spanish King Felipe VI is wrapping up a second round of talks with political party leaders aimed at finding one capable of getting sufficient parliamentary support to form a government following the recent election. The monarch meets Tuesday morning with Pedro Sanchez of the leading opposition Socialist party and finishes in the evening with acting conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the Popular Party. No party won a majority in the 350-seat Parliament in the Dec. 20 election and so far none has found sufficient external support to try to form government. The king called a second round of meetings after Rajoy, whose party won the most seats, turned down Felipe's nomination at the end of the first round, saying he did not have the necessary backing in Parliament.