Opposition SEL, FI to desert committee over Italicum

(ANSA) - Rome, April 21 - Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia and another opposition group, the Left, Ecology and Freedom (SEL) party, both announced Tuesday that they were deserting sessions of the Lower House's constitutional affairs committee in a row linked to the government's Italicum election-system bill. The move is in protest at the decision by Premier Matteo Renzi's centre-left Democratic Party (PD) to remove 10 of its members from the committee because they refused to toe the party line over the bill. "We aren't used to farces," said SEL MP Arturo Scotto.
    "This is unprecedented. It's clear that Renzi is treating the committee like a branch of the PD". FI House whip Renato Brunetta agreed.
    "We, like all the other opposition parties, do not accept this undemocratic behaviour by Renzi's party and that party has all of the responsibility for this rupture," Brunetta said.