The general discussion on the electoral law begins in the Chamber. The reform is in third reading in Montecitorio. The vote on the constitutionality preliminary rulings is scheduled for late this morning which, upon request, can be by secret ballot.
Yesterday, during the general discussion, among others, one of the majority speakers, Nazario Pagano (FI) and the minority speakers Federico Fornaro (Pd), Carmela Auriemma (M5s), Filiberto Zaratti (Avs) and Riccardo Magi (+Europa) spoke.
About thirty parliamentarians have signed up to speak (it should therefore last 4 or 5 hours) and today, according to the indications of the last Montecitorio group leaders, in the late morning, at 12, after the packaging decree, the vote (which will be single and secret if requested) on the constitutionality preliminary rulings that will be presented by the opposition. A group leader meeting will also be held today to define the timing of next week in more detail.
But, according to the calendar assumed so far, on Monday 5th, in the examination of the parts modified by the Senate, 3 votes of confidence should be requested on articles 1 and 2 (modified, among other things with the introduction of preferences) and on 3 concerning the Trentino constituency. On the 8th, modified at Palazzo Madama but for a measure shared in a bipartisan way which extended the non-resident vote to caregivers, for now there has been no talk of confidence. After examining the agendas and, therefore, between 7 and 8 October, calculating that the opposition will probably sign up to speak for as much space as possible, there will be the final vote on the measure which will be by secret ballot.
THE LIVE
Waiting in the Chamber for the secret votes on the electoral law, pressure on the 'lookouts'
In view of the secret ballot votes on the electoral reform, attention is expected to be high in the stands of Montecitorio, where in mid-July - on the occasion of the first passage of the bill in the Chamber - some employees of the FdI parliamentary group paid close attention to the moves of the centre-right deputies, also recording videos, to identify the snipers, estimated at around thirty in the end, who contributed to scuttling the amendment on preferences.
The case of the 'lookouts' aroused controversy from the opposition and was reported by the Parliamentary Press Association to the police commissioners of Montecitorio, who addressed the issue in a meeting. Now the central gallery, reserved for journalists to follow the assembly sessions, will be off-limits to the staff, who will instead be able to request to position themselves in the lateral ones, intended for camera operators, signing as always the 'Self-regulation Code' with which they undertake not to take improper photographs and video footage of the progress of the work.
The new voting terminals equipped with touch screen displays have been operational in the Chamber of Deputies on the parliamentarians' desks since the beginning of September, but for secret ballot votes - such as those expected in the next few days for the electoral reform - deputies continue to use the button panel in the pocket of the terminal, with the three green, white and red buttons. One finger is enough to carry out the operation and, as several parliamentarians on the Transatlantic argue in these days of suspicion and fear of snipers, many will only insert their index or little finger into the button panel, to demonstrate to their colleagues that they respect the party's indication to express the vote for or against.
