PD rebels urge resistance on Italicum

(ANSA) - Rome, March 30 - Leftwing dissenters within Premier Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party (PD) challenged their leader Monday as the party executive prepares to meet to debate and vote on the premier's so-called Italicum electoral law reform later in the day.
    Rebel MP Pippo Civati called on fellow dissenters to abstain as the executive vote has been transformed into "a plebiscite and an ultimatum". Former party leader Pier Luigi Bersani said he will attend the meeting, adding he hoped Renzi won't be issuing any ultimatums forcing dissenters to toe the party line.
    "The party secretary's job is to try to synthesize (different positions)," Bersani said.
    Renzi's proposed reform will create "a type of presidentialism with no counter-balances, a highway for plebiscitary and populist impulses", Bersani added.
    The hotly contested bill would replace the system that contributed to the inconclusive outcome to the 2013 general election, and was subsequently declared unconstitutional.
    The Italicum is the result of a deal between Renzi and former center-right premier Silvio Berlusconi, a fact which has produced growing discomfort within the ranks of both leaders' parties since it was first announced early in 2013.
    It would among other provisions award bonus seats to the party that garners at least 40% of the vote to ensure it has a working majority in parliament. A version of the bill passed the Senate in January, but 24 PD lawmakers declined to take part in the vote in protest.