Senate OKs Constitutional reform Art. 10

(ANSA) - Rome, October 6 - The Senate on Tuesday approved Article 10 of the government's 41-article Constitutional reform bill, also known as the Boschi bill after Reform Minister Maria Elena Boschi.
    The article modifies Article 70 of the Constitution, which says "the legislative function is exercised jointly by both Houses" of parliament. The motion passed with 165 in favor, 107 against and five abstaining.
    The article is a keystone of Premier Matteo Renzi's flagship reform, which aims to overhaul Italy's slow, costly political machinery by streamlining the Upper House into a leaner assembly - made up of 100 members instead of the current 315 - with limited lawmaking powers.
    This will make passing laws easier and save money, the center-left premier says.
    Senate Speaker Pietro Grasso closed the session early and thanked Senators for their "cooperation" in voting on hundreds of amendments.
    "It's been an intense, tense and tiring session," Grasso said.
    Silvio Berlusconi's center-right Forza Italia (FI) party earlier condemned Article 10 as undemocratic.
    "We're slamming the country against a wall of non-democracy," FI Senator Antonio D'Ali said in announcing his caucus' intention of voting against the motion.
    "We are not driven by obstructionist intent and this afternoon we cleared the field of over 240,000 amendments to prove the opposition has positive intentions," he added.
    The opposition, rightwing and anti-immigrant Northern League party has in the past tried to saddle the Boschi bill with millions of amendments in a bid to obstruct its passage.