Renzi, Berlusconi and Italicum -update 2

(ANSA) - Rome, September 17 - Premier Matteo Renzi and ex premier Silvio Berlusconi agreed in a meeting Wednesday to speed up Senate debate of the government's electoral reform bill, an official from the premier's Democratic Party (PD) said.
    The bill, nicknamed the Italicum, is the result of a deal between Renzi and Berlusconi and has already cleared the Lower House.
    It sets out to replace the dysfunctional system that contributed to the inconclusive outcome to last year's general election and was declared unconstitutional.
    It sets bars for small parties to force them into alliances and limit their veto power, and provides a 15% winner's bonus for a coalition that gets 37% to ensure it has a working majority in parliament.
    It also contemplates a run-off vote for the bonus seats if no coalition reaches the 37% threshold.
    As well, the two leaders "absolutely did not" discuss the possibility of snap elections, PD Deputy Secretary Lorenzo Guerini said after the meeting.
    Renzi said Tuesday a snap election might be a good option for him but Italy comes first, and he will not go to the polls before a sweeping 1,000-day reform programme is enacted in early 2017.