ITALY: Last night, after one of the most dramatic elections in its history, Italy appeared to be heading towards weeks of political turmoil.
A day of high drama had polls showing at times both the sitting prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and opposition leader Romano Prodi heading for victory.
The tension was only increased when an alliance of opposition parties appeared to suggest that there had been irregularities in the counting of the vote.
A statement was issued by part of Mr Prodi's alliance demanding to know why the results were coming through so slowly. "Five hours after the closure of the polling stations, we still have only 50 per cent of the vote for the senate," said the statement.
"We wonder what this delay is owing to. We want to know from the interior ministry what is happening." An electronic vote-counting system had been introduced by the outgoing government in several regions. The new system, which applied to 10 million of Italy's 50 million voters, was intended to speed the declaration of results.
Neither Mr Berlusconi nor his challenger had made any comment on the vote almost six hours after the polling stations closed. The prime minister was following the unfolding drama from his private palazzo in the centre of Rome.
The close projected margin between the two sides threatened to present a formidable challenge to whoever won. Even with a slim majority in the two houses, the new prime minister could have difficulty passing legislation.
The competing alliances are made up of ill-assorted bedfellows. Mr Prodi heads a nine-party formation that includes unreconstructed communists and middle-of-the-road Christian De- mocrats. Mr Berlusconi's coalition takes in free-market liberals and protectionists and is divided on many key issues.
Last night's count brought to an end a highly rancorous campaign. Mr Berlusconi turned up the heat remorselessly as polling day approached in an attempt to boost the turnout - a tactic he believed would benefit the right in general and his own party in particular.
Last week he declared that those who declined his promise of tax cuts by voting for the opposition would be "dickheads". The turnout was indeed high - between 85 and 86 per cent of the electorate - but the initial results suggested that the tactic had backfired. "Do you know when Berlusconi lost the election? When he called us dickheads," said a woman waving an opposition flag. However, Livia Lusetti, a worker for his Forza Italia party, insisted: "Berlusconi is not finished. He is going to continue in politics. He is a great man. We must wait and see what happens tomorrow."
The narrowness of the outcome reflected the effects of an electoral law passed by Mr Berlusconi and his allies last December which opposition politicians had criticised as an attempt to "poison the wells" and render Italy ungovernable after the election.
The piazza outside opposition headquarters began to fill with Prodi supporters who hugged each other as the exit polls suggested a victory for the centre left. But as the evening wore on, the atmosphere became increasingly tense.