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WORLD NEWS Monday 11 noveMber 2019

Spain's national vote an epic struggle between left, right

By ARITZ PARRA The RTVE survey, which called after the Socialists the Socialist party we can Catalonia and the feared
CIARAN GILES polled more than 13,000 and United We Can —cur- convert our country into a surge of the far-right Vox
Associated Press voters between Oct. 25 rently Spain's fourth-largest reference point for social party.
MADRID (AP) — Polls have and Sunday's ballot, sig- party in parliament— failed policies," Iglesias said Sun- Polls suggest that turnout
closed in continental Spain naled that Spain may run to reach an agreement fol- day. could be a factor, with vot-
in the country's national into another political stale- lowing the last election in Spain's four main parties er fatigue looming. As of 6
election, where left-wing mate. It had a margin of April. have focused their cam- p.m., 56.8% of eligible vot-
and right-wing parties are error of 0.82 percentage "We think that combining paigns on how to deal with ers had cast ballots, down
fiercely competing to see points the courage of United We the independence push in from 60.7% in the April 28
who can form the next co- The entire 350-seat lower Can and the experience of the northeastern region of election.q

A man casts his vote for the general election in Barcelona,
Spain, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019.
Associated Press

alition government. house and 208 senators
A survey by Spain's public were being elected Sun-
broadcaster released as day, chosen by Spain's
the polls closed says the rul- 37 million eligible voters.
ing Socialists are en route Polls in the Canary Islands
to win the country's second remain open for another
election this year but will be hour.
even further from putting Earlier in the day, a lead-
together a parliamentary ing leftist party pledged
majority. In the last vote in to help Spain's incumbent
April, the Socialists won 123 Socialists in hopes of stav-
seats in the parliament's ing off a possible right-wing
lower house, 53 seats short coalition government that
of a majority. The survey could include the far-right
predicts the Socialists will Vox party.
lose up to nine seats. Spain's United We Can par-
The survey also shows that ty leader Pablo Iglesias said
the far-right Vox party is he will offer assistance to
poised to become Spain's the Socialists, led by interim
third-biggest political force Prime Minister Pedro Sán-
only six months after it de- chez, to form a stable left-
buted in the country's par- ist government. Sunday's
liament. repeated election was