Page 9 - aruba-today-20191109

A9
WORLD NEWS Saturday 9 November 2019

Spain repeats election as Catalan crisis boosts far right

By ARITZ PARRA without a stable govern-
Associated Press ment since mid-2018, when
MADRID (AP) — Spain is Sánchez ousted the graft-
holding its fourth general tainted conservatives in a
election in as many years parliamentary confidence
— and the second this year vote. The center-left minor-
— amid voter distrust and ity government then crum-
a renewed Catalan inde- bled in less than a year af-
pendence bid that has bol- ter losing the parliamentary
stered the far right. support of regionalist par-
The first obstacle for who- ties.
ever wins Sunday's vote will Sánchez's Socialists went
be to overcome the coun- from 85 to 123 seats in the
try's increasingly fragment- late April election. But he
ed and polarized politics to needed support from an
build a parliamentary ma- absolute majority, or 176 of
jority to back his govern- 350 lawmakers, and a fall-
ment. ing out with United We Can
That could prove difficult. leader Pablo Iglesias left
Pedro Sánchez's Socialists him without enough votes.
appear poised to again The latest polls show both
win the most seats in Parlia- of those left-wing parties
ment, but fewer even than In this photo taken on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019, a worker moves portraits of Spanish socialist candidate could lose ground.
they won in April, when Pedro Sanchez ahead of a campaign rally in Pamplona. The Popular Party, mean-
Sánchez was unable to get Associated Press while, is recovering after los-
the support of his left-wing massive protests in Cata- treme nationalist outbreak, with record levels of discon- ing more than half of its par-
rivals to keep his party in lonia last month, when fueled by false narratives tent toward the political liamentary representation
power. nine leaders of its separat- and replete with lies, to class and great pessimism in April, falling to 66 seats.
Sánchez is up against five ist movement were sen- undermine the success of over how the economy will Polls show the conserva-
other men for the job as tenced to prison for the Spanish democracy," the perform next year," he said. tives could win more seats
prime minister. In recent wealthy's region attempt to 47-year-old leader wrote in Even if Sánchez succeeds in this election. But leader
days, he has tried to lure break away two years ago. a commentary published in rallying support from the Pablo Casado's chances to
undecided and centrist In trying to appeal to Span- this week in several Euro- anti-austerity United We form government are lower
voters by saying he will fo- iards frustrated by the se- pean newspapers. Can and its new splinter, than Sánchez's, given that
cus his next term on eco- cession attempt, Sánchez But political analyst Pablo More Country, a Socialist the party's natural ally, the
nomic issues and by tough- has promised to bring back Simón, a professor at Carlos cabinet likely will need ei- center-right Citizens, isn't
ening his stand on Catalan prison terms for those who III University, says the con- ther the backing of small expected to do well.
separatists. hold banned referendums text of the election makes regional parties or for the The party benefiting most
His efforts come as support for independence, over- it even harder to win over right-wing opposition to so far from the Catalan
for the conservative Popu- turning a previous Socialist voters. abstain. crisis has been Vox, with its
lar Party and the far-right position. "The public opinion is an- The eurozone's No. 4 econ- mix of Spanish nationalism
Vox is growing following "I will not allow another ex- gry at the electoral repeat, omy has been functioning and populism.q

Torrential rain in England kills 1; floods streets

Associated Press Thursday. About 30 people been "almost biblical."
LONDON (AP) — A wom- sought refuge in the Mead- "You were just looking out
an died after being swept owhall shopping center of your window in disbe-
away by surging waters as after floodwaters stranded lief at how much of it was
torrential rain drenched shoppers who had turned coming down," she said.
parts of north and central up to see Christmas lights "People's cars were getting
England, swelling rivers, switched on. "Some places submerged in the water,
forcing evacuations and have seen a month's worth gardens were ruined, you
disrupting travel for a sec- of rain in one day," said couldn't drive anywhere.
ond day Friday. meteorologist Alex Burkill It was carnage." The Envi-
In the city of Sheffield, of the Met Office weather ronment Agency said the
140 miles (228 kms) north service. Kathleen Overton highest rainfall on Thursday, A young man feeds a child a bottle of milk as his father pulls
an inflatable boat they have been using to rescue residents
of London, the River Don from Toll Bar near Doncast- 4.4 inches (112 mm), was trapped by floodwater in Doncaster, northern England, Friday,
overflowed after 3.4 inch- er, another badly affected registered in Swineshaw, in Nov. 8, 2019.
es (85 mm) of rain fell on area, said the rain had Derbyshire's Peak District.q Associated Press