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Opposition rallies in Rome against Berlusconi govt

11 December 2010 17:42 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Thousands protested in Rome on Saturday against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi ahead of a no-confidence motion next week that could sink his government, APA reports quoting Reuters.
Families, pensioners and workers from across Italy streamed into squares in the capital to take part in marches organised by the opposition Democratic Party (PD).
"Berlusconi can buy what he wants, but not this square, not this Italy," said the PD’s Enrico Letta, surrounded by flag-waving supporters.
"It’s a big moment for Italian democracy. Rome is full of a great and determined presence demanding clean politics."
Berlusconi, a media billionaire, no longer enjoys an automatic majority in parliament since Gianfranco Fini, the speaker of the lower house and co-founder of the People of Freedom party, broke with him over a string of scandals.
Fini and his supporters say the 74-year-old prime minister must resign or they will vote with the opposition against him on Tuesday and force him to step down.
Berlusconi told supporters at a rally in Milan on Saturday his opponents were using smears to discredit him and that the ensuing political instability had harmed the country.
"IRRESPONSIBLE CRISIS"
"An unimaginable situation has emerged that has unleashed an irrational and irresponsible crisis which is far from Italy’s interests," he said. Berlusconi has repeatedly said he is confident of winning the vote in both houses of parliament.
Financial markets have so far been largely unmoved by the turmoil.
If the prime minister loses, he would be forced to resign, a step which could prompt President Giorgio Napolitano to call early elections, which would not otherwise be due until 2013.
Slogans at Saturday’s protest mocked the premier for scandals involving teenaged girls and parties at his villa, while others focused on judicial proceedings he is embroiled in.
"Italy will change if Berlusconi goes to jail," read one banner.
Two trials for corruption and tax fraud against Berlusconi have been effectively put on hold since his government approved a measure that allows him not to attend hearings because of a "legitimate impediment" due to his public office.
Italy’s top court has postponed a hearing on the law shielding him from trial from its scheduled date on Tuesday until January to avoid a clash with the confidence vote.
Italian prosecutors opened an investigation on Friday into allegations by the centre-left opposition of attempts to buy votes in parliament ahead of the confidence vote.
"The first urgency in Italy is to send this government and this premier home," Antonio Di Pietro, leader of the small Italy of Values centre-left party was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA on Saturday.
Di Pietro, whose complaint on Friday led to the opening of the investigation, said the situation "has reduced parliament, the temple of democracy, into an obscene market where MPs are prepared to sell their conscience and their dignity".