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Italian President Dissolves Parliament
Italy's president dissolved parliament on Thursday, paving the way for national elections by mid-May.
The exact date of the election has not been set, but is widely expected to be May 6 or May 13. A formal announcement could come as early as Friday.
President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi issued the order, a constitutional formality, on the last working day of parliament after talks with leaders of both chambers and outgoing Premier Giuliano Amato.
An election campaign has been under way for months between media magnate and opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi and the center-left candidate, former Rome Mayor Francesco Rutelli.
The center-left has enjoyed an unprecedented five years in power, but has had three premiers and four governments. The conservative coalition is determined to return Berlusconi to the premiership, which he held for eight months in 1994.
The campaign is already bitter and certain to grow more so.
The just-ended 13th parliament was the first since 1992 ¡ª and only the second since the 1960s ¡ª to serve its full five-year term.
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