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Italy's highest court green-lights referendum on constitutional reform

Xinhua, August 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Italian Court of Cassation on Monday gave its approval to a national referendum on a crucial constitutional reform, on which Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has put its political carrier at stake.

The green light from the country's highest court was necessary in order to confirm the validity of over 500,000 signatures of citizens gathered in recent months, as required for a popular referendum to be held here.

The cabinet will have now 60 days to choose a date for the public voting.

A likely period might be between Nov. 13 and Nov. 27., La Repubblica newspaper reported citing government's sources.

The reform would deeply reshape the country's institutional profile and law-making process.

It was definitively approved by the Italian parliament in April, after sixth consecutive readings in both chambers; a special approval proceeding is in fact required in the country for any provision trying to amend the constitutional law.

A popular referendum to confirm or repel the reform law is now needed because the required qualified majorities were not reached during the voting in parliament.

Under the reform scheme, Italy will abandon the so-called "perfect bicameralism" system, which has been effective in the country since its constitution entered into force in 1948.

The senate will be demoted into an assembly in charge of regional affairs, and its seats will be cut to 100 from the current 315. Future senators would be selected among elected members of regional assemblies and mayors, and serve for free.

Most importantly, they will be stripped of their current law-making equal status with the chamber of deputies, losing the power to vote on budgets and other major legislation, and to bring down the cabinet.

They would maintain their prerogatives on constitutional and electoral laws, and European treaties.

According to the cabinet, the reform would strengthen the stability of Italy's fragmented political system, and streamline its law making process, as such improving the efficiency of the institutions overall.

However, its approval remains highly controversial. Some political forces, and a large sector of the Italian society, took position against it.

Renzi has declared he will resign if the referendum repels the reform. Endit