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Italians began voting Sunday on proposed massive changes to Italy's postwar constitution that proponents say would increase stability in a country famous for its revolving-door governments.

The reforms would strengthen the premier's powers, transfer some authority away from Rome to the country's regions, and are meant to speed up the passage of legislation.

Opponents of the changes including Premier Romano Prodi and many constitutional experts say reforms are necessary but claim that these were shoddily conceived under the previous conservative government of Silvio Berlusconi and would give too much power to the executive.

Befuddled voters are struggling to understand the intricacies of the reform. "I still don't get it. The right says one thing, the left says the opposite," said Marco Gastini, 38, a bus driver in Rome.

Also at issue is the fact that the referendum demands only a vote for or against, but the changes would alter more than 50 of the 139 constitutional articles, representing the biggest change ever made to the document, enacted in 1948.

"The fact is that we have never had such a large referendum, so overburdened with themes and problems," respected political analyst Giovanni Sartori wrote in Saturday's Corriere della Sera. "So we are left with just a 'yes' or a 'no' to decide dozens and dozens of questions. It's absurd, but that's how it is."

Italy's constitution limits the premier's powers more than other Western governments, reflecting the country's fear of dictatorship in the wake of Benito Mussolini's Fascist wartime regime. Italy has had 61 governments since World War II.

The referendum, a two-day vote that started Sunday, is also seen as a test of Prodi's popularity two months after he narrowly won elections. Berlusconi, whose government devised the reforms, is urging citizens to approve the changes.

No minimum turnout is required for the reforms to be approved.

The reforms would allow the premier to dissolve parliament, a power now in the hands of the largely ceremonial president of the republic. The premier also would have the power to appoint and fire cabinet members, decisions that the president now must approve.

Other measures, some of which would not take effect for years, include transferring authority over health, education and security from the central government to the nation's 20 regions.

The two houses of parliament, which currently have identical powers, would have different responsibilities. The lower house, which is larger and more representative, would have more power, with the final word on some legislation. The Senate would have final say on matters of shared competence between the state and the regions. The move is aimed at speeding up the passage of legislation.

The proposals also would reduce the number of deputies from 630 to 518, and the number of senators from 315 to 252. However, that change would not take effect for another decade.

The Foreign Ministry said just 27 percent of Italy's 2.6 million voters living abroad had voted by their deadline for casting ballots Thursday. Some 43 million people are registered to vote in Italy.

(China Daily June 26, 2006)