ITALY: Romano Prodi vows to mend Italian election law in speech to Senate.

Romano Prodi has promised the Italian Senate to mend electoral laws if parliament confirms him as prime minister. Romano Prodi promised the Italian Senate on Tuesday (February 27) it would be his "absolute priority" to mend electoral laws blamed for the instability plaguing post-war Italy if parliament confirms him as prime minister. The centre-left leader, who resigned last week over a revolt by his leftist allies, was asked by President Giorgio Napolitano to test his leadership in parliament this week. The Senate holds a confidence vote on Wednesday and the lower house by Friday. "I am here today to ask for a renewal of confidence, so that we can immediately restore complete normality to parliamentary activities and resume governing with even greater determination and energy," Prodi told senators. Prodi has a comfortable majority in the chamber of deputies but was tied with the opposition in the Senate, which has 315 elected and seven lifetime members, when he lost a foreign policy vote last week. That defeat triggered his resignation. But with two local and one overseas-based senator lured on board, Prodi should be able to count on 159 elected senators versus 156 for the opposition, plus five lifetime senators. Beyond the short-term crisis, largely ignored by financial markets and Italy's European allies, there is concern that the electoral system favours broad coalitions, like Prodi's alliance of Catholics to communists, that make Italy ungovernable. Prodi said on Tuesday it was the most pressing reform his coalition had to make. Any new system agreed upon should "guarantee citizens are able to choose not just a party, but also a platform, a coalition, a government plan, a prime minister", he said. Following the speech Prodi and his supporters appeared confident in winning the vote. Asked how he felt the speech went down, Italy's Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema replied 'Good, Good.' "We will restart, restart with a stable and serious government for our country' said Sports Minister Giovanna Melandri. But the opposition is convinced that even if Prodi wins the confidence vote it will only be a matter of time before his government crumbles once again. "It is probable that he will win the confidence vote and then with the first problem it will end like it has already ended, they are no longer a coalition' said rightwing parliamentarian Giorgio La Malfa.

ITN Source | February 28, 2007

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