Former President of Italy Giuseppe Saragat SPOKE TO PRESS Senate leader Amintore Fanfani SEIM SENATOR TERRACINI INDEPENDENT DEPUTATY SCELBA




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Background: President Giovanni Leone Today began a two day round of talks with former Prime Ministers, House and Senate leaders and Parties' delegations in an attempt to designate a new government after P.M. Giulio Andreotti handed in his resignation yesterday. The new government will become Italy's 40th since the fall of Fascism.

Andreotti, ??? who led a Christian Democrat minority government for 17 months, resigned monday when he lost the tacit support of The Communists, The Socialists and the smaller Republican party.

On Thursday, President Leone will almost certainly ask Giulio Andreotti to make an effort to form a government but unless Andreotti can muster support from the Socialists he will not be able to break the deadlock.

If Androeotti fails President Leone can either designate a person from another party (other than the Christian Democrats) or he can call for early elections.

If Gillio Androetti does not want to accept the task of forming another government , Leone will probably choose Amintore Fanfani (Senate leader) or Foreign minister Arnaldo Forlani.

The Communists Socialists and Republicans withdrew their support from the Andreotti government last Saturday because Andreotti had refused their demands for a wide coalition government , in their words, an "emergency government".