Italian Premier-designate Romano Prodi said he had finalized his Cabinet and expected to form a government on Wednesday.

Italy's incoming center-left prime minister Romano Prodi arrives at the Quirinale Palace in Rome, during Italy's new president Giorgio Napolitano's formal round of talks with leaders of all political parties. Italy's president formally tasked Prodi with forming Italy's new government, more than a month after the leader won a bitterly contested general election. [AFP]

"The Cabinet list is wrapped up and it ended well," Prodi said early Wednesday after emerging from a final session with his allies which had begun Tuesday night.

Prodi must return to the presidential palace to inform the new head of state, President Giorgio Napolitano, who gave him the formal mandate on Tuesday, that he is ready to form a government.

A swearing-in ceremony would quickly follow.

Then, five weeks after narrowly wining parliamentary elections, Prodi and his allies can finally get down to the business of governing and end the political limbo that followed his victory in bitterly contested elections.