Italians vote on devolution and stronger premiership

Italians vote on devolution and stronger premiership (ANSA) - Rome, June 26 - Italians finished voting on Monday on whether to accept or reject sweeping constitutional reforms which would strengthen the powers of the premier and Italy's 20 regions .The two-day referendum ended at 15.00 local time .Turnout at the end of the first day of voting on Sunday was 35% with more people voting in the north than in the south .The centre-left government has urged Italians to vote against the overhaul of Italy's 1948 Constitution while the centre-right opposition has called on them to uphold the reforms it one-sidedly approved while in government in November 2005 .The opposition said the higher turnout in the north, where 40-45% of voters had cast their ballots on Sunday compared to 24-28% in the south, indicated support for the devolutionary aspect of the reform plan .But members of the centre left argued that turnout in elections and referenda was often higher in the north than in the south .The reforms in question devolve greater powers to Italy's regions in the areas of health, education and local policing. The devolutionary amendments were the key condition set by the small federalist Northern League for maintaining its support for Berlusconi's government .The reforms also increase the powers of the premier while trimming those of the president; transform the Senate into a federal rather than a national legislative body, and reshape the Constitutional Court so regional interests are represented. Since the amendments did not gain the two-thirds support in parliament needed for legislation affecting the Constitution, they cannot be implemented unless Italians approve them .The outcome will be valid no matter how low the turnout since quorums are not applicable in constitutional referenda .The government is staunchly opposed to the overhaul approved by the centre right, arguing that Italy's underdeveloped southern regions will be penalised by the devolution part and that the other measures will create a too-powerful premiership, weaken parliament and could lengthen legislative procedures by creating conflicts between the two chambers of parliament .Premier Romano Prodi and his nine-party alliance have repeatedly said that they are not opposed to reforming the Constitution but that modifications require cross-party consensus and should not be pushed through by one side .The government says that once the referendum is over, the two coalitions should open talks aimed at reaching consensus on the required reforms .But the centre right argues that since the reforms do not enter into effect until 2016, they should first be approved as a starting point and then if necessary improved. The opposition says the reforms will benefit Italy's regions while making them more accountable. It says the bill as a whole will modernise and streamline the country's institutions and give it greater government stability by introducing a stronger premiership .Under the reforms, the premier would be directly elected by voters and given the powers to hire and fire ministers, propose that parliament be dissolved and call elections .With the present system, only parliament can dismiss a minister via a no-confidence vote, while it is up to the president to dissolve parliament and call elections .In its 'yes' campaign, the centre right has spotlighted an amendment which would substantially reduce the number of MPs. However, this reform would again only be introduced in 2016 .The 'no' side was given a boost earlier this month when some 200 top constitutional experts including 17 past and present Constitutional Court chiefs appealed to Italians to reject the reforms .The experts said the centre right's bill was a "terrible counter-reform" which would "damage national unity" through its devolutionary measures and "give the premier powers which will create authoritarian-style imbalances in the form of government, isolating it from liberal-democratic states" .The text of the Italian Constitution has been amended 13 times and three parliamentary commissions have been convened (in 1983-1985, 1992-1994 and 1997-1998) with the aim of preparing major revisions. They all fell through in the end because the necessary political consensus was missing .In October 2001, Italy held its first constitutional referendum when voters upheld a last-minute pro-devolutionary reform rammed through by the centre left, which governed from 1996 until May 2001 and then lost to Berlusconi .The amendment overhauled the entire part of the Constitution covering Italy's regions, provinces and municipalities, giving regions all powers of government apart from those expressly laid out as the domain of the state .The state retained powers over foreign policy, defence, immigration, religious matters, currency, public services, welfare, state electoral laws, law and order, justice and the general lines of education policy, but all the rest went to the regions including fiscal federalism .The Northern League attacked the amendment for not going far enough, denouncing it as "false federalism" .It was approved in the referendum with 64.2% of voters in favour. The turnout was 34% (www.ansa.it)