It was a damaging split for the UdC in Sicily, the party's historical stronghold, as 7 regional deputies out of 10 chose to follow Romano, additionally joined by a splinter from the Movement for the Autonomies, Lombardo's party.[3][4][5] With 8 deputies, PID are the fifth largest party in the Regional Assembly. Behind the scenes, the party was supported by Salvatore Cuffaro, senator and former President of Sicily, who was forced to leave politics in January 2011 due to a 7-year conviction for mafia-related crimes.[6][7]