Bush, Blair silent on Italian vote

[lovuian]

http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/?sid=961c689c78e2e6a9

As Italian election officials review 43,000 spoiled ballots, U.S. President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are withholding congratulations.

Both men had good working relationships with Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a center-right leader who appears to have lost Sunday and Monday's election by a narrow margin to center-left leader Romano Prodi.

Prodi, however, has openly criticized the Iraq conflict and Blair's attitude to the European Union and said he intends to put Europe's interests ahead of those of Washington, The Times of London reported Thursday.

The White House said it would work with any government that emerged from the elections, but was awaiting final results. Blair's office said simply he was looking forward to working with the new prime minister.

Prodi's party won the lower house by 25,000 votes, and Thursday, the former Italian prime minister and president of the European Commission said he was confident his victory would not be reversed

more...
Another Ally is politically destroyed... First Spain now italy...
and Merkel hangs on by a thread in Germany!!!

[MADem]

1. Italian election: Re-count continues as Berlusconi isolated

Sylvio REFUSES to concede, though!!!

Italy is going into the Easter weekend with contested votes still being re-counted and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi refusing to concede defeat. Just over 43,000 ballot papers are being re-examined - these are papers where the intention of the voter is not immediately clear. The process is being overseen by appeals court judges and could continue for several days.

Initial reports are that few votes are being reassigned and the impact on the final result will be minimal.

The Italian president has reportedly refused a request by Berlusconi for more than a million votes to be recounted. The centre-left, led by Romano Prodi, believes its victory is secure. Ally Piero Fassino raised an eyebrow at Berlusconi's claims. "It is very suprising that the interior minister, who was responsible for the voting and counting operation, does not feel concerned and does not feel the need to defend his work or his administration," he said. Berlusconi is looking increasingly isolated.

The head of one of the four core parties in his coalition has said he does not think the vote checks with change the final result and the labour minister urged the PM to give up his battle...
http://euronews.net/create_html.php?page=detail_info&article=353970&lng=1

Petulant bastard, isn't he??

[kevinbgoode]

3. Typical right winger. . .they cling to power with bleeding fingernails

and that alone should make any citizen suspicious of who these people really are. . .this was the same crap with the mayor of Spokane and the gubernatorial race in Washington - Repukes were bitter, disruptive, demanding and refused to accept results after multiple recounts or multiple charges of wrongdoing. They act as if holding office is like their birthright as royalty, and how DARE voters actually hold them accountable and kick their butts out when they do a crap job.

[Kutjara]

2. Never accuse Bushblair of disloyalty...

...to their friends.

It's just a shame that the citizens of the US and the UK aren't among their friends.

[Lost4words]

9. Damn good point!

[cal04]

4. Berlusconi poll fraud claim fades

ITALY'S Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's attempt to keep power by contesting the result of last weekend's election appeared to have failed today with no evidence emerging to back his claims of irregularities. Italian media said there had turned out to be far fewer disputed ballots than originally reported and not enough to reverse the election result, which handed victory to centre-left leader Romano Prodi by a margin of some 24,000 votes.

"As was obvious, the review (of the ballot) hasn't made any difference. The victory is confirmed," Mr Prodi said
today. Even some members of Mr Berlusconi's inner circle were starting to admit defeat, saying the initial estimate of 43,000 disputed ballots – papers on which the voting intention was deemed unclear by scrutineers – had been exaggerated.

Newspapers said the real number was nearer 2000, but official figures are not expected until next week.
"The first mistake over the number of disputed ballots was made by the Interior Ministry, given that the number of ballots in question are much fewer (than first estimated)," Peppino Calderisi, a member of Mr Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, was quoted as saying in La Stampa daily.

Italy has been in political limbo since Monday night when Mr Prodi, a former European Commission chief, declared victory but Mr Berlusconi refused to concede defeat. Mr Prodi's grouping, the Olive Tree alliance, said Mr Berlusconi should admit the game was over. "The ballots that need to be assigned are a few dozen, to be doled out equally between the two coalitions," it said in a statement. "This confirmation puts an end to the politicised controversy of the last few days from those who continue to not accept that the ballot box verdict handed victory to the centre left."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,18816559-1702,00.html

[Henny Penny]

5. Well if Berlusconi is out...

does that mean his trial is back on???

:evilgrin: :hippie: :party: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :party: :hippie: :evilgrin: :bounce:
:smoke: :nopity: :beer: :thumbsup: :hi: :kick: :grouphug: :pals: :headbang:

[stubtoe]

6. Dismayed about the computer voting results, perhaps?

Couldn't quite steal this one, eh?

[0007]

7. I think both junior and that dirty little poodle are worried

about the Plame thingie exploding now that the little two footer got thrown out of office and can't cover up the yellow cake forgery and all the goddamn lies
Berlusconi told.

[cliss]

11. I think you're right.

I think there's more to this story. This sewage goes SO much deeper than just the election.

Methinks the Man protests too much.

They're worried, absolutely.

[mare]

8. Merkel hangs on by a thread in Germany?

What? Where did you get that info? The polls went down a bit but it's totally news to me that she "hangs on by a thread". And, no, I didn't vote for her.

[Barrett808]

12. Welcome to DU, mare!

:hi:

[phoebe]

10. Prodi needs to set up a government inquiry into the control Berlusconi

has over the Italian media. He should have an easier time of it with the populace's dislike of Berlusconi at an all time high. The inquiry into the British MP taking monies from Berlusconi along with written and published comments made by a lawyer who helped Berlusconi cover up many of his past shady dealings should be enough to hang Berlusconi out to dry sometime in the near future.

Blair will try to pretend he knew nothing of the Berlusconi/MP money scandal but methinks his filthy little hands can't be washed so easily..