(ANSA) - Rome, April 26 - Parliament should approve a new electoral law for both houses of parliament as soon as possible, President Sergio Mattarella said after meeting parliamentary Speakers Laura Boldrini (House) and Pietro Grasso (Senate) at the presidential Quirinal Palace Wednesday. Mattarella also said parliament should elect a Constitutional Court judge. The president asked the Speakers to convey to caucuses the urgency of both votes.
A bill framing a new electoral law will hit the House floor on May 29, caucus leaders decided Wednesday. House Speaker Laura Boldrini urged caucus chiefs to wind up debate on committees to meet the date.
Mattarella has frequently urged parliament to harmonise the electoral laws for both houses.
The president's call was welcomed by parties across the political spectrum, from the ruling centre-left Democratic Party to the rightwing populist Northern League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement.
A harmonised law for both houses is a prerequisite for the next general election, which most pundits expect early next year but which could come sooner.