Premier’s ally pulls party from Cabinet

A key ally of Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi pulled his party from the Cabinet amid a corruption scandal, sending the center-left governing coalition scrambling to keep the administration from falling.

Sen. Roberto Manzione, a member of Prodi’s coalition, hinted to reporters that the prime minister could call for a confidence vote, to see whether that would inspire his squabbling coalition partners to back him. Prodi also could offer his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano, who could dissolve Parliament and call new elections.

Clemente Mastella, who resigned last week as justice minister after being put under investigation in a corruption inquiry, said he was pulling his tiny Christian Democratic party out because he did not feel support from all the coalition members.