Italian Govt wins vital confidence votes

Press, 29 August 1980, Page 6

Italian Govt wins vital confidence votes

NZPA-Reuter Rome The Italian Government yesterday emerged from an all-night sitting of Parliament With two confidence votes■ safely won. But it probably faces at least one more over two controversial economic decrees. ■ * The coalition .headed by the Prime Minister (MrFrancesco Cossiga) which has a..50-seat over-all majority,';: comfortably won the votes, one of which challenged the legality of the decrees and the other their content. . But the votes were followed by an Opposition demand for a continuous debate on the issue. .The. Chamber.of Deputies was due to resume early

today (N.Z, Time) when’the Government Would probably take the first opportunity to move that the debate 'close. If that succeeded, Mr Cossiga was likely to propose yet another confidence, issue that the House should not debate the decrees in detail, thus avoiding discussion, of 1400 Opposition amendments to them. :

But this manoeuvre was likely to raise yet more Opposition objections and even seasoned Parliamentary ob- , servers were unsure what . would happen next. ; The Government’s problems began in July When it , introduced the two [decrees, one designed to cut inflation arid to defend the lira, 'arid the other . to; revitalise -flagging industries' arid' aid the

economically backward south. ■ They took immediate effect but required parliamentary.-,, approval within two months if. they were not to lapse. . ’ Opposition parties then tabled . the amendments, knowing they could not possibly be debated Within the time'Hniit. ■'•;? f ,?■

fn particular - the neo-fas-cist Italian Social Movement, the fourth biggest group in the assembly, refused offers of a deal, saying Mr Cossiga had usurped the function of Parliament by presenting laws as decrees 89 times in the last year. The'-Governrhent. replied it had no choice but to rule by decree in.; view -of the movement’s obstructionist policies.' • ,