Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has conceded defeat in a referendum battle to approve constitutional reforms and says he will resign.
Renzi said he will hand in his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella tomorrow.
Renzi lost by a wide margin, exit polls show, and his decision to quit opens the door to renewed political instability in Italy.
Renzi, who had promised to resign if his flagship project was defeated, has been the leader for two years. Italy has had five different PMs in past decade.
An exit poll by the Piepoli Institute/IPR for state television station RAI, estimated the 'No' vote at 54-58 per cent against 42-46 per cent for 'Yes'. Two other polls gave 'No' a similar lead of at least 10 points.