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Last day of campaigning before Italy election

Posted on: Friday, 7 April 2006, 07:19 CDT

By Silvia Aloisi

ROME (Reuters) - Italian politicians on Friday campaigned for the last day before a parliamentary election on April 9-10 with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, lagging in the polls, battling to stave off defeat.

Berlusconi, who has appeared angry and defensive in recent days as the campaign grew more acrimonious, started the day with two radio interviews where he called on Italians to vote en masse because a low turnout could favor the opposition.

"My first appeal is: go to the polls. If, by chance, too many people stay at home, there could be the possibility -- I don't think so, but there could be -- of a victory by the left," he said, talking of possible defeat for the second day in a row.

He also renewed an attack against the judiciary, accusing it of scheming with the center left to sink his election chances.

"I am outraged by the fact that there are state employees, that with the money of Italian citizens, plot against the prime minister, the government and the image of Italy," he said in a separate radio interview.

Berlusconi will end his campaign in the southern city of Naples, where he will hold his first joint rally with his main allies -- National Alliance leader Gianfranco Fini and Pier Ferdinando Casini, head of the Union of Christian Democrats.

For their final rally, centre-left challenger Romano Prodi and his coalition leaders have chosen Rome's Piazza del Popolo.

The center left maintained a steady lead of 3.5-5.0 percentage points when an opinion poll blackout came into force two weeks ago.

A new voting system rushed into law in December means whoever wins is likely to enjoy only a slim majority in parliament, especially in the Senate, which has a key role in the passing of legislation.

That has raised fears of political instability and is certain to make life more difficult for Italy's next government, with analysts warning Prodi's broad and unwieldy coalition could prove particularly vulnerable to internal bickering.

REFERENDUM?

Commentators say Berlusconi's recent outbursts, including Thursday's assertion that United Nations observers were needed to prevent his rivals from rigging the vote, had polarized Italy and turned the ballot into a referendum on his leadership.

Opposition leaders, appearing increasingly confident of victory, have accused the prime minister of losing his wits.

"It's bizarre that the head of government is the one who is spreading fear and undermining confidence in democracy," said Prodi, a former European Commission president.

The newsstands on Friday did nothing to improve Berlusconi's mood, with most newspapers reprinting the cover of the British magazine The Economist advising Italians to vote him out of office under the headline "Basta" (That's Enough).

While Berlusconi's government has passed a string of reforms over the past five years, it has failed to revive the stagnant economy and many Italians say they feel worse off than in 2001.

Most analysts are skeptical things will get better soon.

"Italy's problems appear so deeply rooted that the next government, whatever its complexion, is unlikely to do little more than make a start at solving them," said London-based Barclays Capital in a research note.

There is no campaigning on Saturday. Polls will open at 8 a.m. (2 p.m. EST) on Sunday. Voting is already over for Italians living abroad, who for the first time could pick their representatives among expatriates.

Source: REUTERS

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