Berlusconi nearer to taking power

Ciampi, right, welcomes the newly elected president of the Senate, Pera

ROME, Italy -- Media magnate Silvio Berlusconi hopes to take the reins of political power in Italy before a NATO summit in mid-June.

The apparatus is now in place for president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi to hand over authority following the resignation of prime minister Giuliano Amato and the election of two key parliamentary posts this week.

Amato made his ritual resignation on Thursday but is expected to stay on in a caretaker role until a new government is in place, possibly by early June, Ciampi's office said in a statement.

Berlusconi is then expected to reveal his ministerial line-up.

Ciampi is believed to be ready to give Berlusconi, whose right-wing coalition won outright majorities in both houses of parliament in the May 13 general election, the mandate to become Italy's next prime minister on June 8.

He would then be sworn in before a NATO summit in Brussels on June 13.

"I think this is the date, but I am not absolutely certain," Reuters quoted Berlusconi as saying on Thursday.

"I think the formation of the government will have to be very quick. We must respect the international calendar.

"On June 13, the prime minister must be in Brussels at the NATO summit."

Amato's centre-left ruled Italy for a full five-year term although it took four governments and three prime ministers to get through the legislature.

The key posts of speakers in both houses of parliament were completed on Thursday.

Pier Fernando Casini, 45, was elected by a simple majority in the 630-member Chamber of Deputies in the fourth round of voting on Thursday.

He heads a small successor party to the Christian Democrats, the Christian Democratic Centre, and is fiercely loyal to Berlusoni.

The Senate chose Marcello Pera, 58, as its president the day before. The academic is a member of Berlusconi's own Forza Italia party.

Both appointments were made by Berlusconi, who overlooked the claims of his allies the Northern League and the National Alliance for the posts.