Italy's Prodi says election win not in jeopardy

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

ROME, April 12 (Reuters) - Centre-left leader Romano Prodi said today his victory at Italy's general election this week was secure despite demands by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for ballot checks.

''I don't have any fear whatsoever that the result will be overturned. It is a clean victory,'' Prodi told foreign reporters.

The closest election in Italy's post-war history saw Prodi win a wafer-thin two-seat majority in the upper house Senate and prevail in the lower house by just 25,000 votes out of 38.1 million cast.

Berlusconi, however, has said he will only concede defeat after disputed ballots have been checked, a position that Prodi mocked.

''It's a curious situation that Berlusconi protests when he has in his hands all the control, all the transmission of the data, all the technical apparatus,'' Prodi said. ''It means he doesn't trust himself, it's a kind of identity crisis.'' In a news conference at Italy's foreign press association, Prodi, who has already been congratulated on his victory by several European leaders, was keen to present himself as prime minister-in-waiting.

He said that once in power he would ''very quickly'' put his election programme into action by cutting labour taxes, changing current laws on immigration and conflict of interest and realigning Italian foreign policy more closely with Europe.

REUTERS SRS VC2052

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