Fewer than expected immigrants have made it onto the electoral lists for political parties in the Italian parliament and senate; there are a total of three foreign-born candidates for the parliament and senate. Among them include Souad Sbai, the head of Italy’s Association of Moroccan women, who has been recruited by former prime minister Berlusconi’s center-right People of Freedom Party, and Khalil Ali running as a senator for the northern Piedmont region from the left wing Rainbow alliance. Several candidates of foreign origin are up for election in Rome’s municipal elections during the same weekend of April 13-14th. The best known of these include Egyptian born Fouad Bishay, on the Democratic Party’s list. About 400,000 foreigners who are residents in Rome are eligible to vote in the municipal elections.
