From Provisional Governments to the Constitution The Badoglio Government, by a succession of acts, had also suppressed the Partito Nazionale Fascista and its dependent organizations. An extensive shuffle of prefects was also carried out. The new powers were concentrated into three forms: the crown, provisional government and united anti-Fascist committee. With the substitution of Badoglio and the formation of Bonomi's first Government the parties that had created the CLN formally assumed political responsibility. In the meantime, Vittorio Emanuele III had conferred royal power on his son Umberto with the title Luogotenente generale del Regno. A provisional decree on 25 July 1944 formalized the Salerno agreement and established: 1) election by direct universal suffrage of an Assemblea Costituente to draw up a new constitution; 2) obligation of the members of the government not to impede institutional reform, postponed until the liberation of the country; 3) future ministers to swear loyalty to the nation, rather than the king; and 4) legislative powers to be attributed to the government, by way of decrees approved by the luogotenente. In April 1945 a Consulta Nazionale was established to reinforce political representation. This body included representatives of the parties present in the CLN as well as those drawn from political groups alien to the committee. Its function for the government was essentially advisory, allowing a wider and more open consultation among the political forces, without assuming any `constitutional' role whatsoever. The Assemblea Costituente The `institutional question' was to be resolved outside of such bodies and the provisional decree of 16 March 1946, No. 98, gave the decision to choose between monarchy and republic to the people by way of a referendum. It also made provision for direct election of the Assemblea Costituente. The institutional referendum and elections for the Assemblea Costituente were held together on 2 June 1946. The electorate voted in favour of a republic (12,718,641 or 54.26% for the republic, 10,718,502 or 45.72% for the monarchy). In May 1946 Vittorio Emanuele III abdicated in favour of his son Umberto who, after the results of the referendum were proclaimed, went into permanent exile. The elections for the Assemblea Costituente saw the clear predominance of the three popular parties (democrazia cristiana 35% of the votes, partito socialista di unità proletaria with 20% and partito comunista with 19%). With this vote two objectives were achieved. First, the final word was said on the institutional question that had divided the country and absorbed considerable attention on the part of the political powers, public opinion and international bodies. Second, it opened the way to the introduction of a constitution, which was to signal a new political order with the collapse of the Fascist regime and the return to democracy. On the 31 January 1947 the progetto di Costituzione was presented to the Assemblea, where it was definitively approved by a secret ballot on 22 December 1947 by 453 votes to 62. Promulgated by the provisional head of State on 27 December, the Costituzione Italiana became law on 1 January 1948. It consisted of 139 articles and XVIII transitory and permanent dispositions.