Mattarella slams Constitutional court vote deadlock

(ANSA) - Rome, December 10 - Parliament's repeated failure to elect three remaining Constitutional Court judges is a "serious and grievous problem", President Sergio Mattarella said in an interview with Il Messaggero published Thursday.
    "Each failed vote by parliament has a bearing on its authoritativeness and on how it is evaluated," Mattarella said. "This vacuum cannot continue," he added.
    Last Wednesday a joint session of parliament failed for the 29th time to vote in the judges.
    A 30th vote has been scheduled for Monday.
    The trio that failed to garner a quorum were Democratic Party candidate Augusto Barbera, Forza Italia's man Francesco Paolo Sisto and centrist Ida Angela Nicotra.
    They are expected to stand again, barring surprises.
    The constitutional court is composed of 15 judges of whom five are appointed by the president of the republic, five by the supreme council of magistrates and 5 by parliament in a joint session.