Rome - Low voter turnout appeared set Monday to torpedo a
bid in Italy to give larger political parties more power.
By Sunday evening, at the end of the first of two days of voting,
turnout stood at 16 per cent.
At least 50 per cent of the eligible 50.5 million voters must cast
ballots to make the referendum valid. Polls were scheduled to close
at 1300 GMT.
If approved, the referendum could pave the way for a two-party
system, limiting the traditional role in Italy of smaller parties to
play king-makers in the formation of coalition governments.
It would also bar candidates from running in more than one
constituency.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi initially backed the
initiative, but did not campaign following pressure from the junior
party in his conservative coalition, the mostly regional based, anti-
immigration Northern League party.
Voting was also taking place Sunday and Monday in several local
run-off elections, with Italy's main centre-left opposition is
seeking some respite from recent setbacks in local polls and in
European elections.
In particular, the centre-left is trying to hold onto the province
of Milan, one of its last remaining strongholds in Italy's north
where the centre-right dominates.
The centre-left is also seeking to keep control of the cities of
Bologna, Florence, and southern city of Bari, where much of Italy's
attention is currently focused due to a probe on the alleged payment
of women to attend parties hosted by Berlusconi.
The scandal has hit the 72-year-old media magnate turned
billionaire, less than three weeks before he is set to host a summit
of the Group of Eight most advanced economies.
Berlusconi, dismissing as 'trash' newspaper reports on the probe,
has rejected opposition calls to resign and says he still has the
support of the majority of Italian.
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