Alex Trelinski
THE LEADER of Spain’s far-left party Podemos has said that it will run with new left grouping Sumar in July’s general election.
Podemos general secretary Ione Belarra made the declaration on Friday just hours before a midnight deadline for all parties to register for the election on July 23.
Another left-wing party Izquierda Unida announced that it will also join forces with Sumar, which was founded by deputy prime minister and employment minister, Yolanda Diaz.
The Valencian regional party, Compromis, also decided to go in with Sumar on Friday.
Registered Podemos members gave nearly 93% backing to Ione Belarra to negotiate with Diaz after the party lost seats in May’s regional and municipal elections.
The accepted view is that if Podemos and Sumar ran separately, they would split the vote and endanger the chances of a left-of-centre coalition being re-elected under Pedro Sanchez of the PSOE socialists.
“We’ll run in the general election with Sumar, the decision has been made,” said Ione Belarra.
Belarra added that issues still needed to be ironed out including Sumar’s opposition to the candidacy of the Equality Minister, Podemos’ Irene Montero.
Belarra said Podemos would not accept any veto against ‘a comrade who has pushed the feminist transformation further than anyone else before’.
Montero received widespread criticism for a law that she introduced over rape and other sex crimes which allowed many rapists to get lighter sentences because of the way the legislation was drafted.
READ MORE:
- As deadline approaches, Podemos turns to grassroots members before deciding whether to join Spain’s new leftist bloc Sumar
- Spain’s deputy prime minister registers new leftist party Unite in bid to save beleaguered left-wing parties
- Explainer: What do the polls say ahead of July’s snap election in Spain?
