Rome, Rajab 10, 1436, Apr 29, 2015, SPA -- Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government won a key parliamentary vote Wednesday on legislation that aims to end Italy's chronic political instability, suggesting that critics of the bill will not be able to halt its passage, dpa reported. The so-called Italicum law would grant an automatic 55-per-cent majority to election winners. Critics said it goes too far, weakening Parliament's influence and upsetting constitutional checks and balances. To overcome opposition to the bill, which is also coming from a sizeable minority of the ruling Democratic Party, the government said Tuesday that it would resort to several votes of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies to speed through its approval. The first was held Wednesday, and the government won it 352-207 with one abstention. Thirty-eight Democratic Party dissidents - including senior party figures, such as former leader Pier Luigi Bersani -walked out in protest. Renzi, who cultivates an image of a decisive leader, defended his decision to push ahead with the reform in an open letter to La Stampa newspaper. -- SPA 20:16 LOCAL TIME 17:16 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w