Italian PM hands in resignation
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has handed his resignation to the
country's president after losing a crucial foreign policy vote in the
Senate. President Giorgio Napolitano is now expected to hold talks with
political leaders before reaching a decision.
He could accept the resignation or ask Mr Prodi to stay in power. In
the vote, several of Mr Prodi's coalition partners opposed troop
deployments in Afghanistan and plans to expand a US airbase in northern
Italy. The BBC's Jonny Dymond says it is not a foregone conclusion that
the government will fall. Mr Napolitano has several options, of which
dissolving parliament and calling new elections is the most radical.
A spokesman for the prime minister said Mr Prodi needed the full
support of the coalition if he was to continue. "Prodi has acknowledged
this is a serious crisis and he doesn't have a majority in the Senate,"
Silvio Sircana said. "He is re ady to carry on as prime minister if, and
only if, he is guaranteed the full support of all the parties in the
majority from now on."
The coalition's leader in the lower house of parliament, Dario
Franceschini, said the main parties in the coalition would continue to
back him. "We are ready to renew our full confidence in Prodi," he said.
"Let's hope the consultations will be useful to clear things up."
Dramatic scenes Mr.Napolitano cut short a trip to Bologna to return
to Rome for talks with Mr Prodi. He could also ask Mr Prodi, who took
office 10 months ago with a wafer-thin parliamentary majority, to test
his support with a confidence vote, ask him to form a new government,
choose a different prime minister from the ruling coalition or appoint a
government of technocrats.
A statement from the president's office said he "reserved his
decision" on Mr Prodi's move. Consultations with party leaders would
begin at 1000 local time (0900 GMT) on Thursday, and in the meantime Mr
Prodi would continue in a caretaker role, it added. Mr Prodi's foreign
minister had earlier said the government could resign if it lost the
parliamentary motion.
Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema had urged senators to approve the
motion - which is non-binding - saying unity was crucial for Italy to
retain its place on the world stage.
The motion asked the Senate to approve the government's foreign
policy, a policy which it said was inspired by a repudiation of war and
respect for the role of the EU, UN and international alliances. It
received 158 votes in favour, just short of the majority of 160 needed
for approval, while 136 members of the conservative opposition voted
against the motion.
BBC
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