Spanish PM refuses to quit

MADRID: Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed on Wednesday not to resign ahead of a no graft convictions against members of his casting doubt on his testimony.

Asked in parliament by an op position lawmaker if he would step down, Rajoy said his “inten tion” was to “carry out the man date granted by Spaniards” and ends in 2020.

He recalled that his Popular Party ( PP) won “over 50 more seats” in the last general election

against Rajoy. The vote on the mo tion will take place on Friday.

All major opposition parties are call ing for Rajoy to step down after Spain’s National Court last week said it had uncovered a vast system of bribes given

Popular Party in exchange for juicy con tracts between 1999 and 2005.

The court sentenced 29 people to jail for a total of 351 years for corrup tion, embezzlement and money laun prime minister in Spain to give evidence in a trial when he was called as a witness in the case last year, prompting calls at the time for him to resign.

In its ruling, the court said the credibility of Rajoy’s testimony “should be questioned”.

Rajoy told parliament on Wednesday that the court ruling “does not convict the Spanish government, the ruling does not convict the PP”.

He added that Tomas de Torque mada, an infamous Spanish in quisitor, “was back” and accused the Socialists of “blackmail” and seeking to form a “Frankenstein

establishment party Podemos and Catalan separatist parties and Basque nationalists.

motion will need the support of an tion parties are deeply divided.