Italy's presidential election set to start

(ANSA) - ROME, JAN 24 - Lawmakers from both houses of parliament and regional representatives start voting to elect Italy's new president at 15:00 on Monday.
    Most of 1009 'grand electors' are expected to cast blank papers in the first ballot with no deal so far between the major political parties on who should replace President Sergio Mattarella, whose seven-year term is coming to an end.
    There is set to be one vote a day and a majority of two-thirds of the grand electors, 673, is needed to vote in a new president in the first three ballots.
    After which a simple majority of 505 is sufficient.
    On Saturday ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi announced he would not stand amid staunch opposition to him taking the top job from the Democratic Party (PD) and the 5-Star Movement (M5S).
    The PD and the M5S said the president should be a more impartial figure.
    Under the Constitution, the head of State acts as a sort of referee of Italian politics and the role is especially important at times of political crisis.
    There has been talk of the PD and M5S proposing Andrea Riccardi, the founder of the Sant'Egidio Community, a Catholic lay association.
    PD leader Enrico Letta is set to have talks with League leader Matteo Salvini on Monday.
    The centre-right alliance has not come up with a candidate yet after Forza Italia leader Berlusconi pulled out.
    Premier Mario Draghi is among the favourites to be the nation's next president, although if the former ECB chief is elected head of State, it could lead to early elections.
    This is because many find it hard to imagine the broad spectrum of parties supporting his national unity executive agreeing to get behind another figure.
    Indeed, on Sunday Salvini said it would be "dangerous" for Draghi to leave the role of premier at the moment.
    M5S leader and ex-premier Giuseppe Conte has also spoken of the need for "continuity in the government's efforts". (ANSA).