By Prensa Latina,
Rome : Italian politician Renato Schifani, from PdL (coalition Liberty Party) was elected president of the Italian Senate Tuesday in the first voting of the 16th Italian legislature, 178 to 3 with 117 abstentions.
Schifani is a close collaborator of Prime Minister elect Silvio Berlusconi, and received 16 votes over those required, said Senate life member Giulio Andreotti, who presided over the first session of the Upper Chamber.
The Deputy Chamber also opened its first session after the advanced general elections of April 13 and 14 with the victory of conservative PdL Silvio Berlusconi.
In its presidential election, PdL is presenting Deputy Gianfranco Fini, vice president of the Italian government during Berlusconi s second administration.
According to the law, in the first three rounds the winner needs a majority of three-quarters of the votes, and in the successive one, only 50 percent plus one single vote.
Fini must wait until Wednesday for the fourth and last voting round, with the participation of 630 legislators from six political parties.
In the new Deputy Chamber PdL has 344 seats, while opposition Democratic Party of Walter Veltroni has 246, with 142 seats in the Senate.