Enrico Letta tasked to form new Italian gov't

ROME - Italian centre-left politician Enrico Letta received a mandate to form a new government from President Giorgio Napolitano, an official at the Quirinale Palace announced on Wednesday.

Letta, the nephew of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's long-time chief of staff Gianni Letta and deputy leader of the Democratic Party, is considered a moderate acceptable to the centre-right.

His appointment was announced by Donato Marra, head of Napolitano's secretariat.

Reuters