The electoral campaign for the Bari municipal elections in June has not yet come into full swing, the main protagonists, the official candidates of the two coalitions, are still missing, but the climate is already poisoned by the institutional political clash underway after the Interior Ministry's decision to appoint a commission to evaluate possible mafia infiltration in the city council following an investigation into vote buying in recent elections.
The votes are sub judice, everything will depend on the speed with which the commission finishes its work.
It is difficult to imagine that the long and complex process could be completed in less than 90 days: the commission has 3 to 6 months to submit the report and the municipal elections will be held on 8 and 9 June.
For further information Agenzia ANSA Crime on the vote in Bari, 'Decaro doesn't give anything' - News - Ansa.it Interception: 'There are those who give a lot of money...' (ANSA)
In the meantime, while the center-left will choose its mayoral candidate on April 7 with the primaries, the center-right has not yet identified its unified candidate.
In the last few days it seemed that the decision was imminent and the choice would fall on the magistrate Stefano Dambruoso, but in reality there would still be three other names in the running: the Northern League regional councilor Fabio Romito, the deputy minister Francesco Paolo Sisto (FI) and the senator Filippo Melchior (FdI).
In the other camp, after a tense and complex process to define the date and rules of the primaries, it was decided that on 7 April the centre-left voters will choose between Vito Leccese, former head of cabinet of Decaro and supported by the Democratic Party, Action, the Greens and civic ;
and the lawyer Michele Laforgia supported by M5s, Italian Left, Italia viva e civice.
The appointment of the access commission broke into the field, reuniting the centre-left on the one hand (which next Saturday will participate in a demonstration entitled 'hands off Bari') and triggering the reaction of the outgoing mayor Antonio Decaro who accused the centre-right of have engineered a clockwork operation.
"When I saw those centre-right parliamentarians who went to the minister to ask for an inspection to dissolve the Municipality of Bari, it worried me", he said yesterday, receiving the solidarity of his colleagues from all over Italy.
His accusations were rejected by Minister Piantedosi and by the leaders of Fratelli d'Italia and Forza Italia: "A due act", the hard-nosed reply.
In this climate of conflict, Bari, already shaken by the 130 arrests for the mafia, including the city councilor Carmen Lorusso and her husband Giacomo Olivieri, accused of having bought votes from the clans, is preparing to renew its mini parliament.
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