The anti-establishment Five Star
Movement (M5S) will vote No in the December 4 referendum on
Constitutional reform because the law "deprives us of democratic
rights", party bigwig and Deputy House Speaker Luigi Di Maio
said on Monday.
"In our opinion, the title of the law does not in any way
reflect its content, in the same way that the title of the Good
School law does not in any way reflect the content of that
reform," Di Maio told radio broadcaster Rtl 102.5.
The M5S recently lost a legal challenge against the
question in the consultative referendum, which echoes the
wording of the title of the constitutional law, arguing it
amounts to a "deceptive" advertisement for the government's
position in favour of a Yes vote.
On December 4, Italians will be called to answer 'yes' or
'no' on a question that reads: "Do you approve a constitutional
law that concerns the scrapping of the bicameral system (of
parliament), reducing the number of MPs, limiting the operating
costs of public institutions, abolishing the National Council on
Economy and Labour (CNEL), and amending Title V of the
Constitution, Part II?".
The reform approved by parliament in April would turn the
Senate into a leaner body of indirectly elected regional and
local representatives with limited lawmaking powers.
Critics of the reform, including M5S and a left-wing
faction within Premier Matteo Renzi's own Democratic Party (PD),
say it will actually make procedures more complicated.
Di Maio was also ironic about the endorsement of the reform
received by Renzi from US President Barack Obama during a recent
visit to Washington.
"Let's say it is not the first time Obama has intervened
concerning a referendum in another country, he supported
'Remain' in England and 'Brexit' won. Now he is backing the Yes
vote and so the No front should be reassured," he said.
Di Maio went on to criticise Renzi's performance in
Europe, accusing him of seeking conflict with the central
institutions only as part of electioneering while "failing to
bang his fists on the table at the right time".
He also dismissed criticism of the movement's performance
in Rome, where new M5S mayor Virginia Raggi has struggled to get
her administration off the ground.
"We have only had the defection of a budget councillor who
we replaced," Di Maio said.
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