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A30 world news
Dialuna 31 Januari 2022

Italy’s president, 80, is recruited to stay on for 2nd term

Mario Draghi, the former considering how, when Con- the government’s statistics
European Central Bank chief te was trying to form Italy’s bureau who pioneered using
who is leading a pandemic first populist-led government data on gender to understand
unity government, tele- in 2018, Mattarella vetoed his women’s progress in Italy.
phoned party leaders to en- pick of a euro-skeptic econo- “Politics cut a terrible figure
courage the lobbying. Draghi mist for the post of finance in these days,″ Sabbadini said
had previously indicted he minister, an appointment on state TV.
would be willing to move likely to have shaken finan-
into the president’s role, but cial markets’ faith in Italy. Italy’s presidency is a largely
some party leaders featured ceremonial role but the presi-
that would prompt an early Also lobbying for Mattarella dent can send legislation back
election and more political was right-wing League party to Parliament for changes
instability for Italy. leader Matteo Salvini, whose and tap party leaders to try to
candidates failed to take off form a government if a coali-
Draghi hailed Mattarella’s in the early rounds. In 2019, tion fails.
(AP) — Italian President re-election as “splendid news Salvini suffered the humilia-
Sergio Mattarella was In a brief, televised statement for Italians.” tion of seeing Mattarella turn During the pandemic, Mat-
pulled away from his im- from the Quirinal presiden- to Conte to form a govern- tarella staunchly backed the
pending retirement and tial palace, Mattarella told “I am grateful to the presi- ment, this time without the nation’s vaccination cam-
reelected Saturday to a the nation he couldn’t let dent for his choice in accom- League, after Salvini yanked paign — one of the more
second seven-year term his personal desires prevail modating the very strong will his support in a failed bid successful ones in Europe —
as the country’s head of over a “sense of responsibil- of Parliament to re-elect him to grab the premiership for as critical to Italy’s economic
state, ending days of polit- ity” during the ”grave health, to a second mandate,” the himself. recovery.
ical impasse by party lead- economic and social emer- premier said.
ers that risked eroding the gency” Italy was enduring in But analysts noted the possi- Pope Francis in a congratula-
nation’s credibility. the COVID-19 pandemic. “You don’t change a win- ble fallout from the spectacle tory telegram said Saturday
He added his commitment ning team,″ former Premier of the nation’s top political that Mattarella was show-
Earlier on Saturday, lawmak- “to interpret the expectations Matteo Renzi told reporters leaders squabbling for days. ing a “spirit of generosity” in
ers entreated Mattarella, 80, and hopes of our fellow citi- ahead of the final vote.. pandemic times marked by
who had said repeatedly he zens.” “There is a tangible risk that “widespread discomfort and
didn’t want a second man- Former Prime Minister Sil- within the ruling majority uncertainty.”
date, to change his mind af- Mattarella’s first term ends vio Berlusconi, who heads infighting will become more
ter lawmakers in Parliament on Thursday. Ahead of the the center-right Forza Italia pronounced in the months A Palermo native, Sergio
and regional delegates voted presidential election this party he founded and who ahead as the fruitless and cha- Mattarella began his career
fruitlessly for days, trying to week, Mattarella had even a week earlier dropped his otic efforts to replace Mat- in Parliament in 1983. He
reach a consensus on other rented an apartment in Rome own bid to be president, said tarella have left deep scars was active in the Catholic so-
possible candidates. to prepare for his move from that unity “today can only be on the parties and their lead- cial movement faction of the
the presidential palace. found around” the figure of ers,” said Wolfango Piccoli of Christian Democrats, then
Mattarella won in the eighth Mattarella. Teneo, a consulting and advi- the dominant post-war party
round of voting when he But after a seventh round of sory firm. in Italy. Mattarella had served
clinched the minimum of balloting in six days in Par- The head of the populist as a judge on the nation’s
505 votes needed from the liament failed to yield any 5-Star Movement, Parlia- Going into the election, constitutional court from
eligible 1,009 Grand Elec- consensus on a presidential ment’s largest force, former Conte and some other lead- 2011 until his first election as
tors. Applause broke out in candidate, party whips and Premier Giuseppe Conte, ers said a woman should fi- head of state on Jan. 31, 2015.
Parliament, prompting the regional governors visited also praised Mattarella as “the nally become Italy’s head
Chamber of Deputies presi- Mattarella at the presidential guarantor of everybody, im- of state. But those efforts Mattarella’s brother, Piersan-
dent to interrupt his reading palace Saturday to reenlist partial, authoritative.″ quickly fizzled. Among the ti Mattarella, was assassinated
of the ballots. The count then him. disappointed woman’s advo- by the Sicilian Mafia in 1980
resumed, with Mattarella go- Conte’s praise for Mattarella cates in Italy was Linda Laura while serving as that island’s
ing on to win 759 votes. Rai state TV said Premier was all the more remarkable Sabbadini, a statistician for governor.

Thai province declares emergency as oil slick hits beach

(AP) — The governor of a setback for the pandemic- hose used to load tankers at dependent on tourists. It
province in eastern Thai- hit tourism industry. an offshore mooring point Aircraft have been dropping has been suffering economi-
land on Saturday declared owned by the Star Petroleum chemicals to disperse the cally from the pandemic that
a state of emergency after Some 20-50 tons of oil are Refining Co. oil and deploying floating has kept visitors away, and
an oil slick washed up on a estimated to have leaked booms to trap it so that it can the spill will make recovery
sand beach, shutting down Tuesday night in the Gulf of The leak was stopped within be skimmed from the surface harder. The local fishing in-
restaurants and shops in a Thailand from an undersea hours, the company said, but and removed. dustry was also affected by
efforts to keep an oil slick the pollution.
from reaching the Mae Ram- Rayong Gov. Channa Iam-
phueng beach in Rayong saeng on Saturday declared The Thai chapter of the en-
province southeast of Bang- the stricken beach a disaster vironmental action group
kok were unsuccessful, and area and ordered it closed for Greenpeace said the spill was
some oil began spilling onto swimmers and commercial the second involving Star Pe-
the sand there on Saturday activities. troleum after an incident in
morning. 1997.
Some 200 navy personnel
A major part of the slick re- and 150 people from Star Pe- It issued a statement de-
mains at sea and there are troleum were helping in the manding that the oil compa-
concerns it may hit Koh cleanup with equipment to ny show clear accountability
Samet, a popular tourist is- absorb and skim the oil, while for the accident, pay for the
land that’s just beginning to two backhoes dug a trench to cleanup and issue a complete
recover from the coronavirus capture the incoming oil. report on the economic, so-
pandemic slump along with cial and environmental im-
the rest of the country. The beachside area is largely pacts of the spill.