Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti announced Friday he would tender the resignation of his government later in the day in the wake of parliamentary elections earlier this month.
Andreotti told reporters he had summoned a Cabinet meeting for 3 p.m. and would then go to the presidential Quirinale Palace to offer the resignation to President Fran-ces-co Cossiga.The announcement came as no surprise since Andreotti, 73, had announced earlier he would resign his government as soon as both houses of the new Parliament elected April 5-6 had chosen their respective presidents.
The Senate and the Chamber of Deputies met for the first time since the elections Thursday to elect their leaders.
But in two votes in the Senate and three in the Chamber Thursday no candidate obtained the necessary majority. Finally, in its third vote Friday the Senate re-elected Republican Senator Giovanni Spadolini, 66, who has been president of the body since 1987.
The Chamber of Deputies elected Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, 73, a Christian Democrat who has been a minister but has never headed a government.