Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Italy's Berlusconi tipped for defeat as supporters rally
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Italy's Berlusconi tipped for defeat as supporters rally
AFP - Monday, December 13
Send
IM Story
Print
Italy's Berlusconi tipped for defeat as supporters rally
ROME (AFP) - – Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will lose next week's confidence vote triggering fresh political crisis, his former ally Gianfranco Fini said Sunday, as thousands of his supporters took to the streets.
"I don't have a crystal ball, but I believe Berlusconi will not have the confidence," said Fini, once a powerful ally but now a bitter rival, in an interview with broadcaster Rai 3.
"We find ourselves in a situation of political crisis with this government," said Fini, who is the lower house speaker.
Berlusconi says he will win a majority of votes in a nail-biting confidence motion on Tuesday, despite the defection of Fini and around 40 lawmakers from the ruling coalition earlier this year, which has led to the vote.
Fini said that Berlusconi had lost the trust of the Italian people and needed to resign so the country could move on.
"If the censure motion does not succeed, we will find ourselves with a government which will try to survive... This is not a stable government, but a government which stagnates," he said.
Fini said a new centre-right government should replace Berlusconi in the event of his resignation.
Supporters of the 74-year-old prime minister took to the streets in about 100 towns and cities across the country, The People for Freedom party said.
In Rome, thousands joined a rally where they watched a video message from Berlusconi, in which he accused the breakaway faction of former ally Gianfranco Fini of betraying voters, according to an AFP reporter.
"I will secure the vote of confidence," Berlusconi said in the message, which was previously broadcast on Saturday and repeated with Berlusconi unable to address the crowd directly due to technical problems.
"We are here to win the backing of our supporters... The People of Freedom is a populist party... It has governed Italy well, and wishes to continue to do this, in parliament and in the whole country," said the party's senate leader Maurizio Gasparri, one of a number of big-hitters at the rally.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied against Berlusconi in Rome on Saturday at the call of the main opposition Democratic Party, which laid on 18 special trains, 1,500 buses and even two ships to bring them from all over Italy.
Berlusconi is expected to give a key speech about the political crisis in the upper house of parliament, the Senate, at around 0800 GMT on Monday.
The confidence votes will then be held in the Senate and in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house, on Tuesday.
The vote in the 630-seat lower house is expected to be extremely tight, with neither ruling coalition nor opponents certain of securing a majority.
Italian newspapers have been filled in recent days with reports of attempts by Berlusconi allies to "buy" votes by offering consultancy contracts to wavering deputies and there have been some defections to the Berlusconi camp.
Prosecutors have opened an inquiry into allegations of vote-buying.
Berlusconi is confident of winning the vote in the senate.
The prime minister survived a vote of confidence in September by a margin of 342 to 275 votes in the lower house, but 34 of Fini's dissidents lent their support.
The 74-year-old media tycoon burst onto Italy's corruption-ridden political scene with an election win in 1994 and has gone on to win two other votes in 2001 and 2008 and serve the longest term as prime minister in post-war Italy.
He has become a figure of ridicule on the international stage -- famous for his gaffes, off-colour jokes and sexual escapades -- but is still seen as a powerful player in Italy and supporters say it is too early to write him off.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
UK-World Summary Reuters - 2 hours 24 minutes ago
Top gun dealers for Mexican cartels are in Texas: report AFP - Monday, December 13
Liz Hurley confirms separation, Warne 'affair' revealed AFP - Monday, December 13
Ambassadors urge trust in Haiti vote review AFP - Monday, December 13
British police join probe into Sweden blast AFP - Monday, December 13
News Search
Top Stories
Liz Hurley confirms separation, Warne 'affair' revealed
Cancun reignites climate talks flame
German finance minister criticises bailout 'speculation'
African health research has solutions but no support
Forex market jumps thanks to electronic revolution: BIS
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Russia's Putin sings Armstrong for Hollywood stars
Amanda Knox breaks down in Italy sex-murder trial
Nations set up global climate fund
UK rioters 'made contact' with duchess in fees protest
City near Premiership summit as Newcastle beat Liverpool
More Most Viewed »
NASA finds new form of life... on Earth
US, S.Korea plan war games after N.Korean attack
Defiant Obama defends tax cuts, eyes 2012
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Entertainment
Photos
Yahoo! News Network
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Monday, 13 December 2010 Afghan insurgents kill at least six foreign soldiers
Hundreds rally in Russia in support of Khodorkovsky
Berlusconi will lose confidence vote: Fini
Rough road ahead for new U.S. Mideast peace push
Gbagbo accuses foreign powers of wooing I.Coast army
Berlusconi's survival hopes finely balanced
|
UK rioters 'made contact' with duchess in fees protest
Sudan group in legal challenge to independence vote
Suicide bombing kills 6 NATO troops in Afghanistan
China says will be patient in pushing for North Korea talks
|
Car bomb kills 6 NATO troops in Afghanistan
Lee, Nehwal take titles in Hong Kong
Bangladesh shares suffer record fall
Dutch release man accused of cyber attacks
|
Microfinance pioneer Yunus criticises Indian lenders
Dubai movie fest opens with Firth film
Malaysia sees sharp FDI rebound in first nine months
China vows stable growth, inflation management
Jailed Afghan drug lord was CIA informant: report
German finance minister criticises bailout 'speculation'
US-TECH Summary
South Korean ship sinks off Antarctica, at least 5 dead
|
Sand, snow, thunderstorms wreak Mideast havoc
Liz Hurley confirms separation, Warne 'affair' revealed
Italy's Berlusconi tipped for defeat as supporters rally
Amazon websites outage was due to hardware failure
China releases long-serving dissident from jail: group
|
Cancun reignites climate talks flame
Dutch release man accused of cyber attacks
Russian spy named advisor for oil company Rosneft: report
|
Islamist website identifies Stockholm bomber
African health research has solutions but no support
Suicide bombing kills 6 NATO troops in Afghanistan
Forex market jumps thanks to electronic revolution: BIS
France's Le Pen under fire for Muslim 'occupation' claims
China's envoy: hopeful of free trade talks with India
|
Dutchman held over sexual abuse of up to 50 children
|
Japan ruling DPJ presses kingpin for ethics panel
|
Iran not a rogue state: Australia
|
Ambassadors urge trust in Haiti vote review
Australia fears Israeli strike on Iran: cables
COMMENTARY: India's higher courts in the dock
Oprah sails Sydney Harbour with Russell Crowe
Amazon websites outage was due to hardware failure
|
Uncertainty over South Korean economy: bank
Restorers put finishing touches to Leaning Tower of Pisa
Senior U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke critical after surgery
China defends its global rise
Judge dismisses Paul Allen firm's patent lawsuit
|
Pompeii collapse forces Italy into heritage debate
South Korea ship sinks off Antarctica
Ex-US intel chief foresees SKorea military action
New Jackson album: a thriller from beyond the grave?
Seoul shares end up 0.5 pct on techs, banks
China uncovers 2,400-year-old soup: state media
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Foreign moviegoers rescue ailing "Narnia"
Shanghai aims to launch 24-hour trading by 2020
China releases long-serving dissident from jail
Underdogs Amazon, Target take aim at iTunes, Walmart
|
L.A. film critics befriend "Social Network"
S.Korea regulator sees regulation scope widening
COMMENTARY: Strange outcome of Cancun conference
Narnia's subdued magic at American box office
22 presumed dead as S.Korea trawler sinks
South Korea T-bond futures slide as won weakens
Taiwan sells T$30 bln T-bills at 0.7 pct yield
Iran not a rogue state
Pakistan
Powerful 6.1 quake hits Papua New Guinea
Seoul shares open up modestly on banks
China's Wen to visit India amid disputes
NZ coal mine placed in receivership by shareholder
Glee throws lifeline to music industry
|
L.A. film critics befriend Social Network
|
Foreign moviegoers rescue ailing Narnia
|
Underdogs Amazon, Target take aim at iTunes, Walmart
|
IBM pitches "smart" cities as planet savers
Appy ever after: smartphone users find virtual girlfriend
Moody's says Spain banking outlook "negative"
Stockholm bomber aimed for major targets: prosecutor
|
2010 -- the year tablet computers came of age
British police join probe into Sweden blast
OECD warns eurozone on debt
Iranian president sacks foreign minister: report
|
Lenovo eyes rising margins on appreciating yuan
Pompeii collapse forces Italy into heritage debate
Israel welcomes shift in U.S. peace effort
Berlusconi warns of crisis ahead of crucial vote
|
Judge dismisses Paul Allen firm's patent lawsuit
Accidents linked to bad weather kill 18 in Egypt
Israel welcomes shift in U.S. peace effort
|
Artists, politicians write letter to free Iran's Ashtiani
Afghan MPs demand president form new parliament
|
Kurdish 'self-determination' call sparks Iraqi ire
French nursery hostage drama ends safely
|
US envoy Holbrooke remains in 'critical' condition
2010 -- the year tablet computers came of age
India protests U.S. frisking of top diplomats
|
Arrests in Afghan attack that killed 6 US troops
Kosovo PM claims victory, rivals refuse to concede
|
6 NATO troops killed by Afghan bomb were Americans
Blast hits school bus in Pakistan: police
|
Bangladesh garment protests spread after deaths
Suicide bomber kills 4, wounds 17 in Iraq
|
Malaysia, Brunei end spat over oil blocks
Hard-line Islamists break up church service in Indonesia
FEATURE: Building (digital) nationalism
Bomb hits school bus in Pakistan
Voice on Michael Jackson album far from finished article
ANALYSIS: Thailand's opposition party faces another test
"Black Swan" leads Critics' Choice award nominees
Hurley confirms separation amid 'Warne affair'
Foreign players add spice to Asean football
Decorator wins British X Factor as 20 mln tune in
"Yogi Bear" may send viewers into hibernation
Music labels reach fans with multiplatform apps
Get smart: Techie gifts for fitness fanatics
|
Thaksin's US hearing put off
HK media group condemns attack on reporters in China
WikiLeaks rival Openleaks coming soon: website
|
Music labels reach fans with multiplatform apps
|
Dell to buy Compellent for $960 million
|
Lenovo eyes rising margins on appreciating yuan
|
Nokia's Navteq buys traffic service Trapster
|
Embattled Indonesian Christians seek protection
Asia retail sales tipped to be double US by 2014
Voice on Michael Jackson album far from finished article
|
Pakistan c.bank raises 31 bln rupees from Islamic bond
Black Swan leads Critics' Choice award nominees
|
Yogi Bear may send viewers into hibernation
|
Music labels reach fans with multiplatform apps
|
Underdogs Amazon and Target take aim at iTunes and Walmart
"Glee" throws lifeline to music industry
Pakistani stocks end lower; rupee firms; o/n rates flat
Asian stocks jump on Wall Street gains, China optimism
Reckitt buys India's Paras Pharmaceuticals
Tokyo bourse, Hanoi exchange in cooperation deal
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights