DHAKA: Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta has said he will resign on Friday after his Democratic Party backed a call for a new administration.

Party leader Matteo Renzi had earlier called for a change of government at a party meeting, saying the country could not go on in "uncertainty".

Speculation has been rife that Mr Renzi wants to take over as prime minister, reports BBC.

He is eight years younger than Mr Letta and was elected leader of the party in December.

Matteo Renzi is a politician in a hurry. He personifies the frustration felt by many Italians at the apparent inability of his country`s leaders to deal with Italy`s rapid economic decline, which has led to the impoverishment of an ever growing number of families.

He is under 40, charismatic, smart and - in his own words - "hugely ambitious". That is his strength.

But he also has his weaknesses. He has so far had a career only in local politics in his native Florence, and lacks experience in Rome`s Byzantine political arena. He has never been elected to parliament and has no popular mandate.

According to opinion polls, most Italians would prefer him not to take over the reins of government from Enrico Letta, the much lower-key prime minister who ran the country for the past 10 months.

If he does succeed Mr Letta, he will inherit an uncomfortable and unwieldy coalition including both centre-left and centre-right parties.

Mr Letta said in a statement that his decision followed "the decision taken today by the national leadership of the Democratic Party".

He said he would formally submit his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano at the presidential palace on Friday.

Relations between Mr Letta and Mr Renzi had become increasingly fraught, the BBC`s Alan Johnston reports from Rome.

The Democratic Party now hopes that Mr Renzi will be able to replace him, and form a new administration, our correspondent adds.

BDST: 1100 HRS, FEB 14, 2014