Prodi wins confidence vote in lower house

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-24-2008 13:28

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has won a vote of confidence in the lower house of parliament.

Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi attends a  confidence vote session at the lower house of  the parliament in Rome January 23, 2008.  REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

Wednesday's vote came after Prodi's key ally pulled his Christian Democrats out of the Premier's coalition on Monday.

The move by former Justice Minister Clemente Mastella is pushing the government to the brink of collapse.

The lower Chamber backed the Prime Minister by a margin of 326 to 275.

But the loss of Christian Democrat support pushed Prodi's majority of one into negative figures in the Senate.

His chances of survival were further reduced by two Liberal Democrat senators abandoning him on Wednesday.

Prodi's allies are pressing him to resign because of his bleak chances of winning a confidence vote in the Senate on Thursday.

A resignation would allow Italian President Giorgio Napolitano to ask Prodi to stay on, assuming other political leaders agree to such a scenario.

Franco Grillini, Member of Parliament, said, "If Prodi decides to resign tonight that means there is room for a technical government and therefore there is room to go ahead for another year to make electoral reforms. But if Prodi tomorrow decides to go on until the end as he has said he wants to - there is no room for whatever other form of government and we will go directly to early elections."

Former Premier Silvio Berlusconi, beaten by Prodi in 2006 elections, is eager for a chance to return to power and is calling for an immediate election.

Sources from Prodi's center-left coalition say he has not decided if he should resign.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei