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Prodi loses crucial Senate vote Prodi loses crucial Senate vote
(40 minutes later)
The Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, has lost a confidence vote in the Senate, threatening to bring down his government and force elections. The Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, has lost a confidence vote in the Senate and is to hand in his resignation to the president.
Mr Prodi, who has led his centre-left coalition for 20 months, is now obliged to hand in his resignation. He won 156 votes in the upper house, with 161 against and one abstention.
He won 156 votes, with 161 against and one abstention. Mr Prodi, who led his centre-left coalition for 20 months, has arrived at the presidential palace to resign to Giorgio Napolitano.
Mr Prodi had been advised by President Giorgio Napolitano to avoid the vote, despite winning an earlier confidence vote in the lower house. Mr Napolitano now has the choice of calling a snap election or naming someone to lead a caretaker government.
Mr Neopolitano must decide the next move for Italy - either calling a snap election or naming someone to lead a caretaker government. Correspondents say the centre-right opposition alliance led by the former Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, is regarded as well placed to win an early poll.
Elections would be likely to favour the conservative former PM Silvio Berlusconi, who leads the coalition that defeated Mr Prodi in the Senate. 'Political vacuum'
Polls suggest Mr Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia party could win comfortably, correspondents say. Mr Prodi won a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament on Wednesday, but had been widely expected to resign rather than risk a humiliating defeat in the Senate, with many commentators saying he had no chance of winning.
The loss of the small, centrist Udeur party's three seats in the upper house left him without a majority and requiring the support of several unelected life senators.
Stopping the government's work is a luxury Italy cannot afford Romano Prodi Analysis: Chaos and betrayalProfile: Romano Prodi
Udeur pulled out, citing a lack of support for its leader, the former Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, who resigned after he and his wife were named in a corruption probe. They maintain they are innocent.
President Napolitano is reported to have advised Mr Prodi to consider resigning so the vote could be avoided.
In an impassioned speech before the vote, Mr Prodi warned that a defeat for the government would mean a paralysing political vacuum for weeks until a new coalition could be formed, or new elections held.
"Stopping the government's work is a luxury Italy cannot afford," he said.
Nuccio Cusumano (centre) fainted after reports of abuse and spitting
He said that the country needed continuity and backing the government would allow it to deal "urgently" with electoral reform, economic renewal and its role in international affairs.
At one stage it seemed he had won a much-needed defection when Udeur senator Nuccio Cusumano announced he was breaking with his party to back the government.
The move forced a brief suspension of the session after shouts that the senator was a "traitor" and a "clown" and one senator made a hand gesture as if to shoot Mr Cusumano.
Mr Cusumano was reportedly spat on, and then fainted, before being carried out on a stretcher.
At the end of the session, however, Mr Prodi's government fell four votes short of the 160 it needed to survive.
Electoral system
The BBC's Christian Fraser in Rome says that Italy's president must now decide what happens now.
HAVE YOUR SAYIf Berlusconi is the other alternative, then I certainly hope Prodi can survive.Jim Bo, Sweden Send us your comments
There is widespread agreement among several senior senators - even among the prime minister's opponents - that the country needs new electoral laws, he says.
Under the current system rushed in by Mr Berlusconi, smaller parties with a handful of seats hold the balance of power.
But others, particularly the former prime minister's Forza Italia party, which is leading the polls, insist an election is the only way forward, he adds.
Whatever happens, our correspondent says, Italy is facing a period of political instability at a time when it can ill afford it.