CNN is reporting that Romano Prodi is claiming victory

[rpannier]

Romano Prodi claims victory in Italian elections, but Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is contesting, Italian TV reports.

Link
http://edition.cnn.com/
It's at the very top in the yellow rectangle.

[ECH1969]

1. Prodi won the Camera

But, the Senate is still up in the air.

[goforit]

2. The Aspens are turning?

[earthside]

3. Where is Prodi on Iraq?

Will he bring the Italian troops home?

[marmar]

4. His position is that he'd like to "tone down" Italy's ties to the U.S....

and focus on its position in Europe. Probably a very good idea!

[AX10]

5. Barely. The Senate is in the hands of the right wing.

Another election may follow within a month.

[ECH1969]

6. Yup

There will be new elections if the two houses are split.

[rpannier]

7. On Italian TV they are saying

September at the earliest for a new election.

[mom cat]

14. And who owns the italian TV ... Berlusconi

[Bumblebee]

8. yes, check out BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4897994.stm

[cal04]

9. Italy Heads Toward Split in Parliament

Final results in the two-day vote ending Monday showed Romano Prodi's center-left winning control in the lower house of parliament, with 49.8 percent of the vote compared to 49.7 won by Berlusconi's conservatives. The winning coalition is automatically awarded 55 percent of the seats, according to a new electoral law.

According to the results, Berlusconi's conservative held a one-seat lead in the Senate, although six seats elected abroad were still to be counted. "We have won, and now we have to start working to implement our program and unify the country," said a jubilant Prodi, speaking to his supporters.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/italy_election

The New Electoral laws
Background: Italy's new electoral law -- "proportional system"
More than 47 million Italians go to the polling stations in the country on April 9 and 10 under a new electoral law, which has returned Italy to an entirely proportional system after a break of 13 years. The law, which was definitively approved last December, allocates parliamentary seats to parties in accordance with their share of the votes.
According to the law, voters cannot choose candidates. They simply put a cross on the symbol of a party. Each symbol is associated with a list of candidates drawn up by party leaders. The more votes a party gets, the more candidates get seats.

In the event of a narrow victory on a national level, a packet of extra seats will go to the winning coalition in a bid to ensure "governability." In this way, a ruling coalition will be guaranteed 340 seats in the 630-seat Lower House and 170 seats in the 315-seat Senate. The reform provides for a number of thresholds, under which parties and coalitions cannot be represented in parliament. If parties belong to a coalition, they need to win at least 2 percent of the national vote in order to have representation in the Lower House. Those standing alone will have to get 4 percent. Meanwhile, coalitions must win at least 10 percent to be represented. There are three similar thresholds for the Senate but the percentages are different: 3 percent for parties belonging to a coalition, 8 percent for those standing alone, 20 percent for coalitions.

http://english.people.com.cn/200604/10/eng20060410_257138.html

[AX10]

11. Too bad about the Senate.

[TankLV]

10. Ha ha!

Another one bites the dust.

Keep 'em falling!

Kharma is a real bitch!

I would love to be a fly on the wall in bunkerboy's rooms.

[Jack Rabbit]

12. Two down, three to go

Aznar
Berlusconi
Blair
Bush
Howard

[Roland99]

13. Oh Yahoo it's 49.8 (Prodi) vs. 49.7 (Berlusconi)

Italy Heads Toward Split in Parliament
AP - 16 minutes ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060411/ap_on_re_eu/italy_election_29;_ylt=AryhIOmwGGb97I9GXM9Mfro20M0A;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

ROME - Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's longest-serving premier since World War II, was locked in a battle for power Tuesday with his center-left challenger, as the country's parliament apparently headed toward an irreconcilable split between their coalitions. Final results in the two-day vote ending Monday showed Romano Prodi's center-left winning control in the lower house of parliament, with 49.8 percent of the vote compared to 49.7 won by Berlusconi's conservatives. The winning coalition is automatically awarded 55 percent of the seats, according to a new electoral law.

[Greeby]

15. BBC: Centre-left claims Italy victory

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4897994.stm

Romani Prodi has claimed victory for his centre-left coalition in the lower house, following Italy's election.

Mr Prodi made the claim during a rally in the capital Rome, telling cheering supporters that "victory has arrived".

But the claim has been contested by the centre-right coalition of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi - who has led the country for five years.

The election has been on a knife-edge after two days of voting. Final results have yet to be officially confirmed.

[AlamoDemoc]

16. Now let's hear from Italy's Berlusconi media controlled magnets!

[Jack Rabbit]

17. Excellent

Aznar
Berlusconi
Blair
Bush
Howard

[cal04]

18. Yahoo:Prodi says he wins Italy's election

Romano Prodi said early on Tuesday that his center-left alliance had defeated Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in Italy's general election. We have won," Prodi told flag-waving supporters in a packed Rome square.
Piero Fassino, leader of the Democrats of the Left party, said: "The data show that the center-left has won the election."


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060411/wl_nm/italy_dc_49

[Greeby]

19. Could this degenerate into another Bush v Gore?

hmmm :freak:

[complain jane]

21. They're not using Diebold are they...

[AX10]

22. Accenture

[ClintonTyree]

20. Please let this be true........

I can't take another defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. The tide HAS to be turing.....PLEASE!

[wakeme2008]

23. Pretty much true because

"However Mr Berlusconi's spokesman Paolo Bonaiuti told reporters the centre-right coalition would demand a "scrupulous" check of election ballots."

[cliss]

24. Wow, this is SUCH good news.

Also, in related news, it looks like Peru will be getting a new leftist president. It's not for sure, but the votes are still favoring him.

Bush: the world is telling you what it thinks of you and your ilk.