Italians vote in favour of reducing number of MPs

Rome, Sep 22 (IANS) A resounding majority of Italians have voted in favour of reducing the number of MPs from 945 to 600, Interior Ministry results have revealed.

According to the Interior Ministry’s final tally issued on Monday, 69.62 per cent of the voters said they were in favour and 30.38 per cent voted against the reform, which cuts Lower House representatives from 630 to 400 and Senate members from 315 to 200, reports Xinhua news agency.

This reform was a key platform plank of the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which currently rules Italy in coalition with the centrer-left Democratic Party in the government led by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

“Today we reached a historic result,” Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who was the former leader of the Five Star Movement, wrote on Facebook.

He said the reform means Italy “will have a normal parliament, with 345 fewer seats and privileges”.

Total turnout for the vote on the referendum was 52.67 per cent, with a peak of over 73 per cent in the northern Valle d’Aosta region and a low of about 35 per cent in the southern Sicily region, Interior Ministry numbers showed.

Voters were went to the polls Sunday and Monday to vote for new administrations in seven out of Italy’s 20 regions.

Mayoral races were also held in over 1,000 towns and cities.

Official results for the local elections were expected by Tuesday.

–IANS

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