First failure to elect House Speaker (4)

(ANSA) - Rome, March 23 - Italy's political parties on Friday notched their first failure to elect a Lower House Speaker amid stalemate. No candidate reached the required 420 votes needed in the first ballot in the 630-seat chamber.
    That corresponds to two thirds of the seats in the Lower House.
    The second and third ballots lowers the quorum by counting blank ballots.
    A two-thirds majority is needed to elect the new Speaker in the first three rounds of voting, after which an absolute majority suffices. Some 620 MPs took part in the vote, 592 filing blank ballots and 18 spoiling their ballots.
    Votes ere cast for Brunetta (2), Muroni (2), Stumpo (2), Bonafede (2), Ermini (1), Lupi (1) and Tripiedi (1).