Spain's ruling party rejects latest offer of Podemos

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez rejected the latest counter-offer from Podemos party -- seen as the most likely partner to form a government -- before Thursday's second vote of confidence.

Sanchez rejected the offer, evaluating it "more of the same" of the earlier negations which bore no fruit, according to the EFE news agency.

The ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’s Party (PSOE) offered Podemos Wednesday a vice presidency and three ministries.

However, Podemos demanded the Labor Ministry to invest in a new government -- which was excluded in the PSOE’s proposal.

Sanchez is unlikely to be able to gain simple majority during the second vote of confidence slated for later today. If he fails, the country will hold its fourth general election in four years in the fall.

Sanchez failed to secure a government after the country's parliament passed a motion of no-confidence during its first vote on Tuesday.

The vote was triggered after Sanchez failed to gather an absolute majority necessary to form a government since he won general elections in April.

In parliament, the vote on Sanchez was 124-170, with 52 abstentions.