SCELBA, MARIO

born Sept. 5, 1901, Caltagirone, Sicily, Italy died Oct. 29, 1991, Rome Italian lawyer and Christian Democrat politician who was premier, 195455. A graduate of the University of Rome, Scelba began his political career in the Popular Party. When this party was suppressed in 1923 for opposing the Fascists, Scelba retired to private life. In 1943 the party was reborn as the Christian Democrats. Scelba was their chief counselor beginning in 1944. Elected to the Constitutional Assembly (1946), Scelba held a succession of cabinet posts. As premier (195455), Scelba tried to steer a middle course between left and right. He was one of the last influential Christian Democrats to oppose the inclusion of the leftist Socialists in government coalitions and was eventually dropped from Amintore Fanfani's cabinet for that reason (1962). An Italian statute defining and banning fascism in any of its phases is known as the Scelba Law.