Sacconi quits as AP whip in Senate

(ANSA) - Rome, January 31 - Maurizio Sacconi on Saturday quit as Senate whip for the AP group, which brings together Interior Minister Angelino Alfano's New Centre Right (NCD) and the centrist UDC party, ANSA sources said. The decision is reportedly linked to the group's decision to vote for Sergio Mattarella, the candidate of Premier Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD), to be president. The decision has angered some NCD members. NCD spokeswoman Barbara Saltamartini said she was quitting her post too and would cast a blank paper rather than vote for Mattarella.