Mattarella elected president of Italy

(ANSA) - Rome, January 31 - Sergio Mattarella was elected Italy's new president on Saturday. Lawmakers from both houses of parliament and regional representatives broke into applause when the ex-minister, whose candidacy was proposed by Premier Matteo Renzi's Democratic Party (PD), crossed the mark of 505 votes needed to ensure he had a simple majority of the so-called 'grand electors' in the fourth ballot. He becomes Italy's 12th president and replaces 89-year-old Giorgio Napolitano, who resigned as head of State this month. Mattarella, a 73-year-old who will now have to leave his post as Constitutional Court justice, had the backing of several parties in addition to the PD.
    These included the opposition Left, Ecology and Freedom (SEL) group and the New Centre Left (NCD) of Interior Minister Angelino Alfano.
    Three-time premier Silvio Berlusconi's opposition, centre-right Forza Italia was opposed to Mattarella and ordered its members to cast blank papers.
    The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) voted for magistrate Ferdinando Imposimato.
    The right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) and Northern League parties voted for journalist Vittorio Feltri. The first three rounds of voting for a new president, when a two-thirds majority was needed, were inconclusive after the PD and FI told their members to cast blank papers.