Italy calls early election in April

[Strengthandhonour]

Italy calls early election in April

By ALESSANDRA RIZZO, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 22 minutes ago

Italy's president dissolved parliament on Wednesday, clearing the way for early elections just two years after the last parliamentary vote.
The Cabinet set the election date for April 13-14.
President Giorgio Napolitano made the decision after Premier Romano Prodi's center-left government fell late last month and subsequent efforts to form an interim government to change voting rules failed.
Prodi will continue as caretaker premier until the election.
Italy was plunged into political crisis after Prodi's government collapsed Jan. 24 after only 20 months in power.
The legislature was the second-shortest one in Italy's postwar history, according to Italian media.
Early elections represent a victory for Silvio Berlusconi, the conservative leader who has repeatedly demanded a return to the polls since the fall of Prodi's government.
Berlusconi has firmly rejected any possibility of an interim government. The 71-year-old former premier is hoping for a new stint in power as domestic opinion polls suggest his center-right coalition would win an early election.
The center-left coalition trails in opinion polls. Its leader and expected candidate for premier, Walter Veltroni, had hoped to delay a vote by supporting the possibility of an interim government.
Veltroni had been pushing for a change in the election law before any new parliament vote is held, saying the risk of instability is too high for whichever coalition wins the next election.
The current law, a proportional-representation system, was passed in the last months of Berlusconi's 2001-06 tenure but was later criticized even by its proponents. It is widely seen as giving too much power to small parties.
Prodi had to resign after a small centrist party withdrew its support, causing the government to lose a confidence vote in the Senate, where the premier's forces had a minimal edge. Throughout his time in office, Prodi had to mediate between positions in a varied coalition that included several small parties.
With his role as coalition leader taken by Veltroni, Prodi confirmed Wednesday that he would not seek a parliament seat.



source: Print Story: Italy calls early election in April on Yahoo! News

[Marulus]

Almost all of the "modern democracies" (not just Italy) are in the constant state of elections. Once elections happened, immediately afterwards or at best one month later, there is a talk in the air about new elections. The more nonsensical elections are, the more they are talked about.

[AzzurroItalia]

The only bad thing about this election is that it is still too early for me to participate and vote....Aww....

However, since I live abroad, my parents' ballots come through the mail... My mother is disinterested in voting in the Italian elections.... So I may just "accidently" vote Fiamma Tricolore or La Destra for her....

In all seriousness, though, the center-right better not screw up these elections. It is their's to lose.

They'd better present a strong, unitary program, and be intelligent during this electoral campaign, because we really need to get more done in this legislature - restore nuclear power, block immigration, reform the constitution....As fast as possible.

[Marulus]

Italy sets early elections for April