ITALY: The Italian parliament has approved a controversial new electoral system that opposition leaders say is designed to help prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in next year's general election.
The reform will restore proportional representation, which has traditionally benefited Mr Berlusconi, and will guarantee the winning coalition an absolute majority in parliament.
Mr Berlusconi's allies say the new law is more transparent and democratic than the previous system, which was a confusing mix of proportional representation and first-past-the-post.
Critics say the changes will boost political instability by giving the election victors too slender a parliamentary majority at next April's ballot. They also fear it will throw up different majorities in the two houses of parliament, which would paralyse politics. The law, already been approved by the lower house of parliament, was ratified in the upper house (Senate) yesterday.
Centre-left opposition leader Romano Prodi has branded the reform unconstitutional and unpatriotic and has urged President Carlo Ciampi to exercise his right to block the legislation and seek substantial modifications.
The electoral overhaul is the latest in a series of reforms being rushed through parliament by Mr Berlusconi. His next goal it to change Italy's election campaign laws which promise equal access to the media for all parties.
The outgoing system was introduced in 1994 following rampant political corruption scandals and was aimed at ending decades of revolving-door governments.