Premier Matteo Renzi prepared to
meet his Democratic Party (PD) Friday on the thorny task of
choosing the divided party's candidate to stand for election as
the next president of Italy.
Factions within the PD were already arguing for their
favourite as Renzi reminded members not to repeat the "mistakes
of 2013" when repeated votes ended unsuccessfully, forcing
ex-president Giorgio Napolitano to reluctantly accept a second
term.
Napolitano, 89, resigned earlier this week opening the way
for another election to fill the seven-year post.
Potential candidates are being named by parliamentary
sources, including former House Speaker Luciano Violante, who in
2013 picked up hundreds of votes, and the PD's deputy Senate
leader Luigi Zanda.
Sources continue to name the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti head
Franco Bassanini as another potential candidate although he has
said he is not interested.
The situation is very difficult for Renzi, who is
struggling to keep his PD united as his cabinet pushes through
numerous structural reforms - including substantive reforms to
the election process.
On Thursday, Renzi met with party dissident Vannino Chiti
to try to smooth matters as well as having a session with
Angelino Alfano, interior minister in Renzi's cabinet and leader
of the New Centre Right (NCD) party.
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