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Stalemate persists in Italy

Vaiju Naravane

PARIS: Attempts to elect President for Italy again ended in stalemate on Tuesday, with the candidate proposed by Prime Minister-elect Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition failing to get a two thirds majority.

An electoral college of 1010 "Grand Electors" made up of Senators, MPs and regional representatives is expected to meet again for a third round of voting. If there is no agreement, a fourth round, where only a simple majority is required, will be held on Wednesday.

Georgio Napolitano, a former Interior Minister and Euro-MP, the candidate proposed by Mr. Prodi, is considered by many to be far too left-wing coming as he does from the Democratic Left Party, founded at the break up of the Italian Communist Party.

The bickering is an early sign of the difficulties Mr. Prodi's disparate coalition faces in pushing through its policies.

"This result was to be expected, given Silvio Berlusconi's well-known allergy to anything that smacks of communism, reformed or not. Napolitano is an extremely intelligent, cultured and capable man, not at all the flag waving Communist the right wing is making him out to be. If no acceptable name emerges by Wednesday or Thursday the deadlock could go on for weeks. As it is some electors are making a mockery of the electoral process," explained journalist Bruno Crimi.

In effect, several electors cast protest votes, writing the names of Italian pop stars or a member of the royal house of Savoy. Some analysts believe a fourth round of voting will see the emergence of men with broader Prime Minister, Giuliano Amato or the former European Commissioner, Mario Monti.

Both men are on a list of four names put forward by Mr. Berlusconi's allies as candidates who would be acceptable to the centre-right. The others are another former Prime Minister, Lamberto Dini and Senate Speaker Franco Marini.

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