(ANSA) - Rome, September 21 - The 5-Star Movement's (M5S)
online primary to select its premier candidate for next year's
general election got off to a slow start on Thursday due to
technical problems.
The blog of leader Beppe Grillo said the M5S's Rousseau
operative system had got clogged up because of the high number
of people trying to use it at the same time.
Lower House Deputy Speaker Luigi Di Maio is favourite to be
the group's premier candidate as he is the only M5S heavyweight
standing among the eight contenders.
Meanwhile, Patrizio Cinque, the mayor of the town of
Bagheria, near Palermo, on Thursday announced he had suspended
himself from the M5S after being put under investigation for bid
rigging and other alleged crimes.
However, Cinque did not step down from his position as first
citizen.
Slow start for M5S premier primaries (2)
Probed Bagheria mayor suspends self from movement, stays in post