By Alessandra Cardone

ROME, May 28 (Xinhua) -- Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Monday gave mandate to form a government to former International Monetary Fund (IMF) official Carlo Cottarelli, as new prime minister-designate.

Cottarelli, a 64-year-old economist, was summoned on Monday morning by the president, after a bid to form a coalition government by populist parties Five Star Movement (M5S) and League failed on Sunday night.

"The president of the Republic has conferred a mandate to form a government on Carlo Cottarelli," presidential secretary Ugo Zampetti said after the president and the economist met for one hour.

"Cottarelli has reserved to accept."

The former IMF official then confirmed he would try to form a technical cabinet to take care of the country's current affairs and forthcoming domestic and international commitments. His cabinet would anyway need to ask a confidence vote in both houses of the Italian parliament.