Rome  -  Italy's lower house of parliament elected Wednesday as speaker Gianfranco Fini, a close ally of prime minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi.

Fini's election in the Chamber of Deputies follows that on Tuesday of another Berlusconi ally, Renato Schifani, as speaker of the upper house Senate.

Fini's post-Fascist National Alliance merged with Berlusconi's People of Freedom party in Italy's April 13-14 general elections which marked a triumph for the conservatives.

Fini received 335 votes in the 630-seat Chamber of Deputies with the opposition centre-left casting blank ballots.

Once both speakers have been sworn in, President Giorgio Napolitano will hold consultations with all parliamentary groups and then formally ask Berlusconi to form a government.

The government will then have to be approved with confidence votes in both houses of parliament - a process which is expected to be completed by the end of next week. (dpa)