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Italian-speaking Ticino fights for cabinet seat

A third candidate has been presented by the centre-right Christian Democrats who are contesting a cabinet seat held by the Radical Party.

The local Ticino chapter on Monday put forward Luigi Pedrazzini, director of police and justice of his canton.

The Christian Democrats argued that the Italian-speaking region of the country deserved to be represented in the national government, saying the local population was outraged over the refusal by the Radicals to shortlist its prominent member, Fulvio Pelli.

The Christian Democrats are to choose their official candidate for the seat of the outgoing interior minister, Pascal Couchepin, on September 8.

The Radicals have put two names on their list, Didier Burkhalter and Christian Lüscher, for the election by parliament which will take place on September 16.

Switzerland’s multi-party government is made up of seven members. The Radicals and the centre-left Social Democrats hold two seats each, while the Christian Democrats, the Conservative Democrats, and rightwing Swiss People’s Party have one seat each.

A long-standing formula attributing cabinet posts to the main political parties was dissoved in 2003 when the People’s Party won a second seat at the expense of the Christian Democrats, triggering a split in the right wing.

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