SPAIN : 03 Feb UPDATE: Socialists Want Rajoy Resignation; PM Rajoy...Corrupt For A Decade...Or Unfairly 'Harassed'?

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      Some protesters fought with police outside the ruling PP party headquarters in Madrid...and also protested in Seville and Barcelona...after El Pais...Spain's left-leaning and leading news organization...reported that conservative PM Mariano Rajoy had received 25,200 euros/$34,000 annually...in secret payments from businessmen...from 1997 to 2008.

     Rajoy denied receiving any monies...and refused to resign...calling the newspaper's report 'harassment.'
     The opposition Socialist Party is demanding his resignation....that 'he cannot lead the country' during its current economic challenge.
    On Thursday...the news outlet published papers of PP party treasurer Luis Barcenas that allegedly showed payments made by contractors and builders...to a secret Swiss slush fund...that may have held up to $30 million.

     Spain's political parties were allowed to receive anonymous donations...until 2007.
     In 3 days...over 850,000 have signed an online petition calling for Rajoy to resign.
    Unemployment in recession plagued Spain has reached a record 26.6%.
    Rajoy's popularity has dropped to its lowest since 2011 at 23.9%....while the Socialists register 23.5%.
    Last week...El Pais incorrectly published...and also briefly posted online...a prominent foto that purported to show Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez...tubed-up in a hospital bed.
    But...it turned out to be a 2009 foto of a very ill Mexican patient.
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21313211