The Italian parliament failed to elect a president in the fifth round of voting today, with most electors returning blank ballots after a disagreement over candidates threw the main centre-left alliance into disarray.
The best-supported candidate in the fifth ballot, left-wing academic Stefano Rodota, backed by the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, got 210 votes, far short of the 504 required to win.
The centre-right alliance led by Silvio Berlusconi boycotted the vote.
Parliament will vote again this afternoon. Italian media reported that if no winner emerges, voting may be suspended until Monday.