Posted on 04/11/2006 11:09:14 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi refused to concede defeat in Italy's general elections, suggesting that the vote may be declared invalid because of a "great many irregularities."
"On the foreign vote there were a great many irregularities," Berlusconi told a packed news conference in Rome.
"It cannot be excluded that this vote can be declared invalid," he said, referring to the race for the Senate, which hinged on the tally from six constituencies representing Italians residing overseas.
The prime minister, in power since 2001, said: "We cannot recognize the outcome of a vote until there is a definitive clear judgement. Until that day, no one can say they have won."
He said he would not rule out entering into a German-style "grand coalition" in case a split parliament emerges from the dispute over the Senate, where his House of Freedoms has officially won 156 seats to 158 for Prodi's center-left Union coalition.
"I think maybe we should follow the example of some other European countries, like Germany, to see if there is a case for joining forces and governing together," he told a news conference after refusing to concede defeat in Italy's general elections.
Berlusconi's assertions came moments after the interior minister declared Prodi the victor in the elections winning both houses of parliament.
Prodi's Union bloc took control of the Senate, after a full count had already shown him as the winner in the lower house of parliament.
Berlusconi's Forza Italia party said earlier it would press for a recount given the wafer-thin margin -- just 25,224 votes -- which separated the two sides at the polls, according to official figures.
"There is a difference of 25,000 votes and there are 43,000 contested votes," Forza Italia's national coordinator Sandro Bondi told the opposition coalition in a debate on Sky Italia.
"For the moment, you have won nowhere: neither in the House, nor in the Senate," said Bondi.
You could almost call him "Il Duce"...
or Al Gore
What do we have here? Roman Recount?
I was hoping if he lost he would go quietly..
Add this to Chavez in Venezuela, Morales in Bolivia and the latest leftwing kook in Peru, Oscar H. (who will be the favorite in a runoff against only a slightly less leftwinger, Alan Garcia) and it has NOT been a good week for the USA, as we watch a pro-communist continent being formed directly to our south while our best men and women are fighting 12,000 miles away. Once Blair resigns, Bush won't have a single major ally in Europe for the Iraq adventure or much else.
You should thank God for Israel, newly-conservative Canada and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Central America is ours to lose.
Single major ally? What about Angela Merkel?
Like some horrible spawn of Satan, Castro is passing only to be replaced by a new set of younger evil Communist despots made in his own image.
---Central America is ours to lose.---
RED CHINA now has one of its companies managing BOTH ends of the Panama Canal (Thanks, Jimmuh Cartah!)
Can't do anything about that, as far as I know. We can sign more trade agreements, like we have with CAFTA-DR and Panama. That's a touchy subject for some folks around these parts, though.
Hopefully, the Administration has a plan to support secession movements in Bolivia (the mine-rich district around Sucre where the bulk of opposition to the Leninist Morales lies) and in the northern oil-rich region of Venezuela (planters, ranchers and oil country folks who bitterly oppose Chavez). Start pounding the Castroites back by covertly supporting breakaway movements where they make their money. Otherwise, they have their sights set on Colombia, Ecuador and the rest of Central America.
Hutchison Whampoa has actually owned the east-west ports of the canal since 1998. The chairman, Li Ka-shing, has extensive ties to both the PRC and PLA.
Chavez is buying MiGs from Russia with one of the missions being "to protect the canal" as stated by his air marshall. Why would that be? Venezuela has no meaningful ties with Panama. It's because the Chinese are using them as a local puppet army. In return, Chavez gets military intelligence and hard currency for his socialist endevours.
When China finally moves on Taiwan, they will use the canal as barganing chip if the 7th Fleet makes a move toward the Straits.
China is the gathering threat, more so than Iran in that they have the capability, the resources (massive FX reserve) and alliances in every major region of the world (Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, Nigeria, Iran, Philippines) to reek major havoc.
The only saving grace is that Japan has been roused from her sleep. If she arms herself (with our help), China will have a difficult time carrying out her world plan.
You can thank Al Gore for this. Now every close election has "irregularities".
Nonsense. China is a valued trading partner. We gotta get our cheap crap from somewhere.
I'm assuming you left the standard '/sarcasm' off?
Laconic you are way off my friend. Canada and Germany were just won by right wing coalitions (adios Schroeder, Paul Martin). Who gives a Damn about Peru and Bolivia? If Chavez did not have oil who would care? Prodi in Italy has no mandate and will be out in 6 months. The main players in Latin America are Brazil, Chile, and Argentina who have left leaning Goverments but are free market supporters along with Columbia. Do not be fooled by the European socialist press. Canada and Germany matter
I trust our government. They wouldn't let China have permanent MFN trading status if they meant us harm. Or maybe its just that our gov't answers to its transnational corporate masters, and doesn't really care about us. So it goes.
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