Italy's President seeks talks on a populist-centre-left government

Rome  :    Italy's president Sergio Mattarella on Monday asked the lower house of parliament's Speaker Roberto Fico to hold talks with the populist Five-Star Movement and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) in a fresh bid to form a government after the inconclusive March 4 national election.

Mattarella "has given the task of verifying the scope for a possible parliamentary majority between the Five-Star Movement and the PD with a view to forming a government," presidential palace spokesman Ugo Zampetti told journalists.

Fico has "until Thursday" to report back to Mattarella on his efforts, he added.

Five-Star emerged as the largest parliamentary party in last month's election in which the far-right League party also made strong gains.

The centre-left coalition led by outgoing leader Matteo Renzi came third in the ballot - well behind the centre-right alliance and Five-Star - and the PD won 18.72 percent of votes in its worst-ever electoral result.

Three previous rounds of consultations this month with Italy's main parties failed amid a mesh of seemingly irreconcilable political demands.

The League, the dominant party in the centre-right bloc - which has the most seats in parliament - and Five-Star have both claimed first bid to form a government. But the PD - which had vowed to into opposition after its hammering at the polls - has the numbers in parliament to play kingmaker.

No party or bloc has a clear majority in the hung parliament that resulted from the election.