Rome: Silvio Berlusconi is pledging to keep his centre-right forces in Italian Premier Enrico Letta`s governing coalition while fighting a tax fraud conviction that threatens to keep him out of public office.
The ex-premier is angry that senators from Letta`s centre-left party have refused to back a recommendation by his lawmakers that Berlusconi keep his Senate seat.
A 2012 law bans anyone sentenced to more than two years in prison from holding or running for public office for six years. This summer Italy`s top criminal court upheld the media mogul`s conviction and four-year sentence for tax fraud.
The full Senate eventually will decide if he keeps his seat. Berlusconi told reporters on Thursday that a crisis in Letta`s tense coalition could destabilise the recession-mired country and pledged his political support for now.
PTI
