Italy: Opposition leader urges Berlusconi to resign over referendum defeat

Rome, 13 June (AKI) - The leader of Italy's largest opposition party Monday called on Italy's prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign after referendum voters overwhelmingly rejected government plans for nuclear energy, water privatisation and a controversial law helping shield the premier and other cabinet ministers from prosecution.

"By reaching the quota (of 50 percent of the electorate plus one voter), these were referendums on divorce: the goverment's divorce from the country, " said the centre-left Democrat Party's leader Pierluigi Bersani.

The turnout for the four referendums held on 12-13 June was 57.02 percent.

With approximately one-third of ballots counted, 94.55 percent of electors voted against nuclear power in Italy and 95.64 opposed the privatisation of water, the interior ministry said.

With around one-third of ballots counted, a total 94. 94 percent of electors voted to overturn a law that permits ministers to not attend trials because of scheduling conflicts with official business. Billionaire Berlusconi is the target of four Milan trials over his business dealings, abuse of office and paying a minor for sex. He denies wrongdoing in all cases.

In a fourth referendum, with almost half of ballots counted, electors voted by 96.10 percent against water charges being proportionate to the investments made by the utility company.

"Our request is clear: Berlusconi should resign and open up a new phase in Italian politics," said Bersani.

Italy's administrative reforms minister Roberto Calderoli, a member of Berlusconi's key coalition ally the Northern League, described the referendums as a "the second slap in the face" for the conservative government. Last month, it took a drubbing in municipal elections losing control of several cities including the financial capital Milan - Berlusconi's home town - and Naples.

But the spokesman for Berlusconi's ruling People of Freedom Party, Daniele Cappezzone, sought to downplay the referendum results.

"Italians were summoned to vote on specific questions. They certainly were not asked to say if they were for or against the government," he stated.

"Now, we just need to listen to the electorate," he said.

Berlusconi had advised voters to shun the ballot box, a move critics said was aimed at averting a fresh defeat after the May local elections.

Last week he lost an appeal to Italy's constitutional court aimed at blocking the nuclear power referendum. But the court's judges voted unanimously voted to let the plebiscite go ahead, in a decision welcomed by environmental groups.

Following this year's accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant Berlusconi shelved the government's plans to reintroduce nuclear energy, saying the current environment was too emotional and pledging to return to the issue in the future.

In a 1987 referendum, voters chose to close down Italy's existing atomic power plants in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster. Referendum results are valid for five years in Italy.