Spain's Rajoy aims for vote on new government by end-January

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy aims to seek backing in parliament to form a government by the end of January, an official from his centre-right People's Party said on Wednesday. Proposals to form a new government will need to be voted on by Spanish lawmakers, pushing parties to try and form alliances before then to ensure they will get the support they need. The PP won the most votes in a Dec. 20 election but fell well short of a majority and is attempting to forge pacts so that it can remain in power. "The vote could take place at the end of January," PP official Fernando Martinez Maillo told reporters in the parliament, which recovened on Wednesday for the first time since the inconclusive election. (Reporting by Blanca Rodriguez, Writing by Sarah White; Editing by Angus MacSwan)