Berlusconi 'will resign to make way for Prodi government'

Romano Prodi won his first parliamentary battle today when his candidates were elected speakers of the two houses of parliament, despite a bitterly fought race that indicated his centre-left coalition’s difficulty in controlling the Senate.

Hours later, Italian news agencies ANSA and Apcom reported that outgoing Premier Silvio Berlusconi said he would resign on Tuesday, clearing the way for a Prodi government.

But the reports did not directly quote him as saying that. “The Cabinet meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday,” Berlusconi said, according to ANSA, in response to a question on when he would resign. The Cabinet is expected to formalise Berlusconi’s resignation.

Prodi, whose centre-left forces won the April 9-10 elections, is expected to receive the mandate from Italy's president to form a new government. But it was not clear when that would happen because the president's term expires on May 18 and he has indicated he wants to leave the task to his successor.

Italian newspapers have speculated recently that President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi might change his mind and give the mandate to avoid further delay. Berlusconi said he did not know whether Ciampi had changed his mind, according to ANSA.