Italian lawmakers fail to choose a new president in 3rd vote
Italian lawmakers have failed to pick a new president in their third round of voting, moving the election to its fourth round scheduled for Saturday.
Over 1,000 lawmakers and regional representatives cast their votes for a third time to elect Italy’s new head of state on Friday afternoon, with none of the candidates acquiring the necessary two-thirds majority of 673 votes as 513 blank ballots were cast.
Friday afternoon’s inconclusive ballot followed two other votes on Friday morning and Thursday with similar results.
On Saturday, the president will only need a simple majority of 505 votes to be elected.
Prime minister’s candidate
On Friday evening, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi called for both his coalition and opposition parties to support Mattarella’s candidacy, “for Italy’s common good.”
On Thursday, Renzi and his center-left Democratic Party and its main allies pledged to support Sergio Mattarella, a veteran politician and constitutional court judge.
If Renzi, who has held his position for less than a year, fails to get Mattarella elected, it will show that he is losing power over his party which in turn will raise the prospect of an early national election.
Mattarella , former veteran politician
Mattarella, 73years old, has already served as deputy prime minister, education and defense ministers.
He joined the Democratic Party in the early 2000’s and in 1980, his brother was killed by the mafia while holding the position of governor of Sicily.
“Mr. Mattarella would be a guarantor of continuity on the path for key reforms,” said Franco Pavoncello, a professor of politics at Rome’s John Cabot University. “That was also a smart tactical choice by Renzi to regain, at least for now, the full backing of his fractious party.”
SRK/AS/MHB
Related stories:
Italy’s presidential vote inconclusive Fri Jan 30, 2015
German finance minister censures von der Leyen for EU’s ‘lost years’
Spain says Israel’s ‘disproportionate’ attacks in Gaza threaten whole world
Spain set to lobby EU partners to recognize Palestinian state
Israeli airstrike kills at least 7 people in Rafah
VIDEO | Iranians hold nationwide demos in support of IRGC
Syria condemns US veto of Palestine UN membership resolution
Iraqi resistance forces hit Israeli Ovda air base
Hackers break into Israeli military’s computers, access trove of documents
Tulkarm Brigade commander killed by Israeli forces in raid on refugee camp
Zionist media desperately trying to turn Israeli defeat into victory: Iran
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
