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Napolitano elected President

Vaiju Naravane

Election clears the way for Romano Prodi to form Government in Italy

Paris: Tall, spare, and bespectacled, the deceptively mild-mannered left wing politician Georgio Napolitano (80) was on Wednesday elected President of Italy in the fourth round of an acrimonious vote.

Since the voting went into the fourth round, Mr. Napolitano did not require the two thirds majority stipulated in the first three rounds and won, receiving 542 votes. The Electoral College is made up of Senators, MPs and regional representatives. The very small margin of Mr. Napolitano's victory underlined the deep divisions between Right and Left that have emerged in Italy since April's general election.

Until the very last moment, Silvio Berlusconi and his right wing allies tried to hamper the election by casting blank or defaced ballots. However, Prime Minister-elect Romano Prodi had taken the precaution of entering into an agreement with centre right MPs, receiving assurances of their support to ensure Mr. Napolitano's election.

Though the new President received a standing ovation in Parliament, Opposition leader and outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi voiced his concern saying: "This majority does not correspond to the wishes of Italians. We don't see him as corresponding to the need for an impartial candidate."

Questioned by reporters early on Wednesday, Mr. Napolitano — a senior member of the former communist Democrats of the Left — insisted he would be an "impartial" President as guarantor of the Constitution. "Otherwise I wouldn't have accepted."

The election of the Senator for life and former Parliament Speaker now clears the way for Mr. Prodi to form a Government early next week, five weeks after winning a bitterly contested general election.

A confident Prodi said his Government could be sworn in by the President "between Sunday and Tuesday" of next week.

Mr. Napolitano has served as Interior Minister in the Prodi government of 1996. He is known for his personal honesty, vast culture and efficiency and several Opposition figures hailed his election saying he was the right person for the high office.

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