Spain King Seeks Candidate to Form Govt

MADRID (AP) -- Spain's King Felipe VI is wrapping up two days of talks with political party leaders, hoping he can find a candidate that can win parliament's backing to form a government and avert a second national election this year.

The meetings finish Tuesday when the king meets caretaker Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of the Socialist Party.

Sanchez's party holds 123 seats in the 350-member lower chamber and is the top candidate, but he has been unable to garner sufficient backing.

Sanchez was to call the leaders of the three main opposition parties before meeting the king to see if they might finally support him, or at least abstain.

The deadline to form a government is Sept. 23. If no candidate can do so, an election will be held Nov. 10.