Italy's largest opposition party picks new chief

Rome- Voting results released Monday clinched a win for former minister Pier Luigi Bersani as head of Italy's opposition Democratic Party. The vote count showed that, with 73 per cent of the votes counted, Bersani had won 53.3 per cent. The next closest vote-getter was incumbent leader Dario Franceschini, with 34.4 per cent.

Nearly 3 million voters cast ballots, nearly as many as in a 2007 vote that installed Walter Veltroni as the PD's first leader. The high turnout was unexpected after party strife following losses in 2008 parliamentary elections.

Bersani, 58, a former federal economic development minister is expected to try to pull Italy to the left, but is also seen as having the economic credentials to serve as a threat to the conservative government of incumbent Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose rule has been plagued by scandals recently.

The party will face its first electoral challenge at regional elections set for March.