By Philip Marcelo

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The chairmen of the state's local Republican city and town committees and other prominent Republicans on Tuesday called on GOP Party Chairman Giovanni Cicione to resign immediately.

Cicione, who has been the party leader for three years, is at the center of a dispute over whether to have all future Republican primaries be open only to registered Republicans.

Cicione does not support the idea of a closed primary and has refused to call a special meeting of the state central committee this month to consider the proposal, which would require that voters register as Republicans at least 90 days prior to the primary to vote.

Under current state law, Republicans and Democrats are not permitted to vote in the opposing party's primary unless they disaffiliate 90 days prior to the primary.

"I'm not going to resign," said Cicione, "and I'm not going to worry about this issue until February or March when we will have a state central committee meeting. They want a special meeting this month, and that is not going to happen."

Michael Napolitano, chairman of the Lincoln Republican Town Committee and spokesperson for the GOP city and town chairmen, said in a statement: "Chairman Cicione is casting a one-person vote to block the will of the party."

Napolitano says Cicione is in defiance of the party's executive committee, the city and town chairmen, and a number of high-ranking party officials. "Acting on behalf of these individuals, I hereby state we have no confidence in Giovanni Cicione's ability to lead this party effectively, and demand his resignation."

pmarcelo@projo.com