Rome mayor says no to bid for 2016 Olympics

ROME, July 11 (Reuters) The mayor of Rome today said the Italian capital would not bid to host the 2016 Olympics due to the country's political division between left and right.

''The conditions are not right for Rome to be a candidate for the 2016 Olympics,'' Mayor Walter Veltroni told a news conference.

Rome was the only Italian city that had been considering competing to host the Games.

Veltroni, a prominent member of Italy's main centre-left party and considered a likely future prime minister, said there was not sufficient cross-party political support for a Rome bid.

''We can't set off on such an adventure if the day after there would be a political storm. We won't expose Rome or the country to something which will increase divisions rather than unity,'' he said.

Veltroni said he had offered the job of organising the Rome bid to Gianni Letta, a close advisor of former centre-right prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, but that he declined the post, apparently for political reasons.

Berlusconi has disputed the result of April's election in which he narrowly lost to centre-left leader Romano Prodi.

Italy's main sports body, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), is due to meet Veltroni tomorrow.

Beijing host the next Summer Games in 2008, with London hosting the one in 2012. The International Olympic Committee is due to select the 2016 hosts in 2009.

REUTERS SY HS2140