I'll stand against Berlusconi (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, November 21 - Democratic Party (PD) leader and ex-premier Matteo Renzi said Tuesday he would stand for the same seat as three-time ex-premier and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi if the European Court of Human Rights restores the centre-right leader's eligibility for office. The ECHR is hearing Berlusconi's plea against an office ban on Wednesday but is expected to take 6-9 months to reach its verdict.
    The PD will be the "centre of gravity" for the next legislature after elections in March or May, Renzi said. He said a new electoral law gave the PD a "fundamental role" in the election process, because of the combination of two-thirds proportional representation and one-third first-past-the-post.
    Renzi said he was ready to repair the fragments of the Italian Left after the MDP split from the PD earlier this year but would refuse the MDP's demand he restore Article 18 of the 1970 Workers' Statute offering cast-iron protections against unfair job dismissals. He said he was "not optimistic" about the prospects of reuniting the Left, but added "we have time" before a general election early next year.