Roundup:Italian PM faces fresh opposition against referendum

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi may have earned himself another outspoken opponent of his constitutional reform law within his own center-left Democratic Party (PD), namely, former Rome mayor Ignazio Marino.

Marino resigned in October 2015 amid an expenses scandal and was acquitted on Friday of embezzlement, fraud and forgery. The former mayor said on Saturday he may campaign for a 'No' vote on a December 4 referendum on Renzi's reform.

"I have invitations to appear in over 20 Italian cities," Marino told Turin-based La Stampa daily. "I will say what I think of the reform."

The ex-mayor added that the constitutional revision is worded in a way that is too complicated and difficult for the average person to understand, which is not in the spirit of Italy's original charter.

"The Constitution is the Magna Carta -- the one everybody understands," Marino said.

On December 4, Italians will be called to answer 'yes' or 'no' on a question that reads: "Do you approve a constitutional law that concerns abolishing the bicameral system (of parliament), reducing the number of MPs, containing the operating costs of public institutions, abolishing the National Council on Economy and Labor (CNEL), and amending Title V of the Constitution, Part II?"

Title V of the charter covers regions, provinces and municipalities. Renzi's reform would eliminate Italy's 110 provinces.

It would also reduce the Senate by two thirds (from 315 to 100 members), and do away with the equal powers between the upper and lower houses of parliament - an unusual system that has been blamed for decades of political gridlock. It would also do away with the CNEL, an organ with 64 councillors plus a president that acts as an advisor to the government.

The government is campaigning for a 'Yes' vote while the opposition -- including dissenters from Renzi's own party -- is campaigning for a 'No' vote.

Renzi initially staked his political future on the outcome of the referendum, saying he was prepared to quit if the 'No' vote wins. He has since backtracked from that position after criticism that he "personalized" the debate excessively.

"The referendum is about the future of the country, not about mine," Renzi told RAI public broadcaster on Friday.

The prime minister added that the reform will save 500 million euros (557 million U.S. dollars) by slashing Italy's inefficient political machinery. Endit