Naples council resigns amid growing problems

Naples has a new problem: no city government. The Communist-led City Council resigned after a week of hectic interparty negotiations ended in failure. Meanwhile, underworld gang warfare in Naples claimed its 201st victim of the year, and the city continues to be beset by poverty and unemployment.

The crisis in the city government might be resolved at the next council meeting, Nov. 30. Until then the outgoing Communist mayor, Maurizio Valenzi, will remain as caretaker, without legislative authority.

His resignation came shortly before the first anniversary of the earthquake that rocked southern Italy, killing nearly 3,000 people and leaving 150,000 city residents homeless. Mayor Valenzi's minority coalition has been blamed by the opposition for failing to rehouse them all.

Thousands of people still live in schools, trailers, metal containers on board ships in the port, and in cheap hotels. At least 200,000 people - or one-sixth of the city's population - are without work.