Special Report: Italy's general election

    ROME, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Italian Parliament failed to elect its next president in its second round of voting on Tuesday after returning to the ballot boxes following an inconclusive first ballot on Monday, according to unofficial tallies.

    The voting ended in a deadlock, with no candidate gaining the necessary two-thirds majority of over 1,000 delegates, consisting of 630 MPs, 322 Senators and 58 representatives from Italy's 20 regions.

    A third round was scheduled to take place in the afternoon. If there is still no winner, a fourth vote will take place on Wednesday and the winning candidate will need only an absolute majority.

    The incoming government of Romano Prodi has nominated the ex-interior minister and life Senator Giorgio Napolitano for the presidency. But the candidate is strongly opposed by outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right coalition, which sees him as too left-wing.

    Berlusconi said earlier in the day that his center-right coalition had not found any room for consensus with the center-left regarding the country's new president. Enditem