Miguel Gotor, a senator for
Premier Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), said
Tuesday that he was among 29 PD lawmakers ready to vote against
a key aspect of the government's bill to introduce a new
election system - the so-called Italicum.
"There are no negotiations at this point," Gotor said,
with voting on the Italicum expected to start on the floor of
the Senate later on Tuesday.
"At this point the discussion is only with Berlusconi," he
added, referring to a meeting between Renzi and the Forza Italia
leader earlier in the day.
Gotor, who is considered close to former PD leader Pier
Luigi Bersani, said the 29 PD Senators were poised to rebel over
the part of the Italicum that gives parties the power to say who
will be the first person voted into parliament in 100
constituencies for the Lower House.
Many lawmakers argue all the candidates on any given party
list should be elected in the order of the preferences voters
express.
The fact that the old electoral system, which contributed
to the inconclusive outcome to the 2013 general election and was
subsequently declared unconstitutional, had so-called blocked
lists of candidates appointed by the parties with no room for
voter preferences, has been blamed for distancing the public
from the political class.
PD deputy leader Lorenzo Guerini, however, said he was
confident that the centre-left group will find "its agreement"
over the Italicum at a meeting of party Senators before the
start of voting.
He added that he was confident PD lawmakers with
reservations about the bill will not join forces with the
anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) to scupper it.
Earlier on Tuesday a senior M5S MP, Danilo Toninelli,
tweeted an appeal to lawmakers from other groups to unite in
voting against this part of the Italicum.
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