FRENCH FAR-LEFT PARTY HALTS TALKS ON GOVERNMENT FORMATION

PARIS, July 16 (Bernama-dpa) -- A new left-wing alliance that won the parliamentary elections in France is facing a test of unity over the question of who could become prime minister if they were to form a government, reported the German news agency (dpa). 

The far-left La France Insoumise party has suspended consultations on the formation of a government as it holds a face-off with the centre-left Socialists over the appointment of a joint candidate for the alliance.

As long as the Socialists insisted on their own candidate, and vetoed candidates from La France Insoumise, consultations on forming a government would remain suspended, the party announced on Monday.

It accused the Socialists of forming a "political blockade".

Party founder and leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon stated that as long as the two could not agree on joint candidates for top posts in Parliament, his party would not resume "discussions about anything else".

The left-wing alliance, which also includes the Greens and Communists, had actually already wanted to decide who would become prime minister if it came to power at the end of last week.

The Socialists named their party leader Olivier Faure as their candidate. La France insoumise has its eye on Mélenchon, among other possible candidates. However, the left-wing strategist is an unpopular choice, even within his own party, due to his autocratic and polemical style.

In the short term, the dispute in the left-wing alliance could play into President Emmanuel Macron's hands, as he is unlikely to entrust a divided left-wing camp with forming a government.

-- BERNAMA-dpa