The head of State broadcaster
RAI said Monday that the voting system used to select the winner
of Italy's much-loved and long-standing Sanremo Song festival
needs fixing.
There was controversy at the weekend when Italian-Egyptian
singer Mahmood won the 2019 contest thanks to the backing of a
panel of experts and journalists outweighing votes by viewers.
Interior Minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini commented
on the controversy, saying he would have chosen the song by
Ultimo, the performer who came second.
"There was a clear imbalance between the popular vote and the
jury made up of a few dozen people that caused controversy," RAI
President Marcello Foa told the network's UnoMattina show.
"This is the real point that it is necessary to reflect on.
Does this system work or not?
"It should clearly be fixed so that the public feels
represented". The five-day festival is broadcast on the State
broadcaster's flagship RAI1 channel.
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