ROME, Jan 31 (KUNA) -- The Italian parliament has elected Sergio Mattarella as new president for the country in a new round of voting. Mattarella, 73, is a constitutional court judge and a veteran center politician.
The Italian parliament on Saturday elected constitutional court judge Sergio Mattarella as the country's new president.
Up to 665 out of a total of 995 present MPs voted for Mattarella in the fourth round of voting.
Mattarella, 73, will succeed Giorgio Napolitano, 89, who stood down earlier this month due to "signs of fatigue".
The election came following three inconclusive rounds of voting, in which no candidate secured the two-thirds majority needed to win.
Saturday's fourth round required merely a simple majority of the 1,009 eligible voters to produce a result.
Mattarella, who was nominated by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, is expected to be sworn in next week. (end) mn.mt