The World - News from April 14, 1987

Alessandro Natta, leader of Italy’s powerful Communist Party, suggested a new governing alliance to avoid June elections now widely expected because of a political crisis. The alliance would bring the Communists into Italy’s governing coalition for the first time since 1947. The suggestion came as Prime Minister-designate Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, a Christian Democrat, completed three days of fruitless efforts to reconstruct the five-party coalition that fell last week. Several parties reacted positively to Natta’s proposal, which excludes Christian Democrats, but it is uncertain whether the grouping could command a majority.