Friday, April 28, 2006

First test for Prodi's coalition

Repubblica.it has rolling coverage of the fight to nominate the Presidents of the two Chambers. For the Chamber of Deputies, Fausto Bertinotti looks a shoe-in - but, having failed to get two-thirds of votes on the first round, voting must go to a second round, in which a bare majority suffices.

For the Senate, it's a battle between Giulio Andreotti and Franco Marini. The centre-right chose Andreotti to try and peel off centre-left voters, but, with the exception of senator for life Pininfarina, it doesn't seem to have worked, with Marini looking set to be elected in a second round of voting.

Given that the vote is secret, parliamentarians are writing candidates' names on a ballot paper - which has led to some unusual results, and some votes which rather call into question the ability of some of those elected. One voter managed to get confused, and opted for a composite candidate, "Giulio Marini". Unfortunately for that person, Giulio Marini exists and is a centre-right senator.

In the Camera, the first round of voting - with a requirement for a two-thirds majority - has allowed some in the centre-left to show their independence. There seems to be an 'awkward squad' on both flanks: diessini disappointed with the choice of Bertinotti who voted for D'Alema (13 votes), leftish democristiani who voted for Gerardo Bianco (7 votes); even communists who prefer transsexual Vladimir Luxuria (2 votes) to Bertinotti.

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