Italy's warring parties were set Saturday to beg outgoing President Sergio Mattarella to stay for another term, fearing political chaos due to a possible failure to elect his successor. The 80-year old -- who has repeatedly ruled out serving again -- won nearly 400 votes at the seventh ballot, and the parties in the governing coalition said they had struck a deal to elect him at the next round. Mattarella will need to get 505 or more votes at the eighth ballot, which starts at 16:30pm (1530 GMT). Italy's presidency is largely ceremonial, but the head of state wields serious power during political crises, from dissolving parliament to picking new prime ministers and denying mandates to fragile coalitions. Prime Minister Mario Draghi, a former European Central Bank chief brought in to lead the government almost a year ago, had been touted for months as the most eligible head of state. But some parties have insisted he is too precious a resource to lose as prime minister, and many experts have pointed to the popular and trusty Mattarella as the best choice after a string of failed ballots. "Let's ask Mattarella to stay, so the team stays the same, with Draghi at Palazzo Chigi,"...