Nominate a president- oversight body tells RAI board

(ANSA) - Rome, August 7 - RAI's parliamentary oversight commission is calling on the State broadcaster's board to nominate a president, sources said on Tuesday. The commission has given its chairman Alberto Barachini a mandate to write a letter to the board requesting that it makes a nomination and refrains from taking any actions beyond those needed for day-to-day administration, the sources said. The parliamentary oversight commission last week failed to approve the government's pick to be RAI new president - Marcello Foa - after the opposition Democratic Party and Forza Italia refused to give the thumbs up.
    RAI journalists union Usigrai, national journalists union FNSI and the Italian journalists guild said Monday that the State broadcaster's board cannot legitimately function at the moment.
    Labour and Industry Minister and Deputy Premier Luigi Di Maio said Tuesday that he disagreed with this.
    "As far as I'm concerned, the board is fully operative," said Di Maio, who is also leader of the 5-Star Movement (M5S).
    "It is necessary to election RAI president.
    "The law says an agreement is needed among the parties and while there is no agreement, there is no president". Foa had said he would coordinate activities at RAI after his nomination was blocked, angering the PD and RAI unions.