ITALY: The Making of a Pres/denfe

Originally intended as a largely ceremonial post, the presidency of Italy has grown in power and prestige as successive postwar Cabinet coalitions have proved incapable of dealing with the nation's problems. The President has the authority to appoint the Premier and his ministers, to help set the tone of foreign and domestic policy by his appointments, and to cow squabbling politicians by threatening to call elections at almost any time. He also has the ability to plunge Italian politics into months of utter chaos every seven years by the mere process of getting himself elected. Avoiding Snipers. Last week 1,008 electors (630 Deputies, 320 Senators and 58 regional representatives) were in the process of naming a successor to Giuseppe Saragat, whose term expires Dec. 28. The chosen electors went about that serious task with all the noble intent and show of national interest of a group of condottieri.

The rules of the game preclude primaries or campaigning by the candidates. The choice is made by secret ballot, which allows a maximum of wheeling, dealing, intrigue and fine Italian double-cross. The object is to see who can garner the most votes from the other parties, since no party in Italy's fractional politics enjoys anything remotely resembling a majority. The candidate must also avoid defections from within his own party. Such defectors are known as tiratori franchi, or snipers. The game is so complex that Saragat was elected in 1964 only after 21 ballots, taken over the course of 13 days.

The apparent leader before the balloting began last week was Amintore Fanfani, 63, four times Premier and most recently president of the Senate. A short (he claims to be 5 ft. 6 in.), brusque, brash former economics professor, he is the candidate of the Christian Democrats, the largest party in the governing center-left coalition. Should he falter, former Premier Aldo Moro is more than willing to replace him. Moro, also a Christian Democrat, has visibly moved from the center toward the left of late, even as Fanfani was moving from left to center. Fanfani's other chief rival is Francesco de Martino, Deputy Premier and the candidate of the Socialist Party, who has a firm promise of support from Italy's second largest party, the Communists. Leading a host of lesser candidates and potential contenders is President Saragat himself, who in the early balloting was drawing his votes mainly from the relatively small Social Democratic Party. He is trying to become the first President to serve two terms since the present Italian constitution was adopted in 1947.