Spain's Rivera steps down as lawmaker and Ciudadanos party leader

The leader of Spain's Ciudadanos, Albert Rivera, on Monday said he had resigned as party president and lawmaker after the centre-right party saw its support plunge in Sunday's election.

Rivera, visibly moved, said he took responsibility for the party's "poor result" in hopes that the party would return to its roots as a centrist and liberal political project, in televised remarks after meeting with his party's executive committee.

Ciudadanos won 10 seats in Sunday's election, less than a fifth of 57 seats won in the previous April election.

Various potential solutions to unblock the stalemate, however, involve Ciudadanos, alongside regionalist parties. (Reporting by Elena Rodriguez, Jesus Aguado Writing by Ashifa Kassam Editing by Ingrid Melander)