Di Maio proposes meeting of all Whips (4)

(ANSA) - Rome, March 22 - Anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio on Thursday proposed a meeting of all party Whips to overcome difficulties in reaching a deal on parliamentary Speakers, who are to be voted on after parliament convened Friday. Di Maio, whose party scored highest in the March 4 general election, said "in the last few hours we have noted that there are difficulties in the process leading to identifying the Speakers of the Houses." He said "for this reason we propose a new meeting between the Whips of all the political forces to re-establish a fruitful dialogue in order to assure a correct process for identifying guarantee figures as Speakers." M5S former Senate Whip Danilo Toninelli went on to say that "talks are going forward for those who want to go forward." He said the talks with the caucuses included Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia (FI).
    FI is proposing former its Senate Whip Paolo Romani as Senate Speaker but the M5S has vetoed his candidacy because of a criminal probe into a suspected cellphone misdemeanour.