- Title: ITALY: ITALIANS GO TO POLLS TO ELECT THEIR 59TH GOVERNMENT SINCE 1945
- Date: 13th May 2001
- Summary: (W5)ROME, ITALY (MAY 13, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF STREET IN CENTRAL ROME 0.07 2. SCU: ITALIANS WALKING IN STREET 0.12 3. CU/WS: ITALIANS WALKING IN STREET/ VENDOR SELLING MINNIE AND MICKEY MOUSE DANCING DOLLS (2 SHOTS) 0.23 4. PAN; PRESS WAITING INSIDE POLLING STATION FOR CENTRE LEFT LEADER FRANCESCO RUTELLI 0.30 5. VARIOUS FRANCESCO RUTELLI WAITING IN LONG LINE TO VOTE /WIFE BARBARA PALOMBELLI (4 SHOTS) 0.58 6. VARIOUS: RUTELLI HANDING OVER DOCUMENTS AND VOTING (8 SHOTS) 2.05 7. MV: MEDIA OUTSIDE POLLING STATION 2.09 8. SCU/WS: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) RUTELLI LEAVING POLLING STATION SURROUNDED BY MEDIA SAYING: "We"ve said a lot in these days. Now we'll leave the Italian people to do the talking. I'm very confident, as I have been through the whole election campaign." (2 SHOTS) 2.24 9. VARIOUS OF GENERAL PUBLIC VOTING (6 SHOTS) 2.49 10. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) BARBARA MARCHESE SAYING: "It's the first time I've seen a turnout like this - I think the right will win." 3.03 11. SV: PEOPLE LEAVING POLLING STATION 3.08 12. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) VITTORIO BARBERA SAYING: "The two coalitions are almost equal, but let's hope things will change for the better" 3.17 (W5)MILAN, ITALY (MAY 13, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 13. SLV/MV: CENTRE RIGHT LEADER SILVIO BERLUSCONI WAITING IN LINE TO VOTE (2 SHOTS) 3.30 14. SCU: SILVIO BERLUSCONI LOOKING RELAXED AND NOT WEARING A TIE 3.36 15. SV/SCU: ELECTORAL OFFICIAL WITH PAPERWORK (2 SHOTS) 3.40 16. SV: BERLUSCONI HANDING OVER DOCUMENTS 4.03 17. MV: BANKS OF MEDIA 4.04 18. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) BERLUSCONI WAITING FOR PAPERS TO BE PROCESSED SAYING: "Is there some kind of problem?" / BERLUSCONI REPLYING TO MEDIA QUESTION SAYING: "I will stay at home tonight and have a good night's sleep" 4.25 19. MV: MEDIA 4.27 20. VARIOUS OF BERLUSCONI VOTING AND LEAVING POLLING STATION (3 SHOTS) 5.12 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 28th May 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ROME AND MILAN, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVADONHKS6DPHL2KTQAEOYKFJPY3
- Story Text: Italians will decide on Sunday who will lead their 59th
government since 1945 after a long and bitter election
campaign which has culminated in a two horse race pitting the
centre right led by Silvio Berlusconi against the centre left
led by Francesco Rutelli.
Francesco Rutelli, leader of Italy's centre left coalition,
showed his egalitarian stripes by queuing for 45
minutes to cast his ballot in the general elections.
Voting in the southern Rome area of EUR, Rutelli arrived
with his wife Barbara Palombelli. Surrounded by press as he
left the polling station after casting his vote, Rutelli said:
"We've said a lot in these days. Now we'll leave the Italian
people to do the talking."
"I'm very confident, as I have been through the whole
election campaign," he added when asked if he was nervous
about the outcome.
At many polling stations people waited for nearly an hour
to cast their ballot.
"It's the first time I've seen a turnout like this" said
Rome's resident Barbara Marchese.
"I think the right will win" Marchese added.
Most people believed it was impossible to predict an
outcome and that both sides appeared to be neck and neck.
"The two coalitions are almost equal but lets hope things
will change for the better" said said another voter Vittorio
Barbera.
In Milan it was the turn for media mogul Silvio
Berlusconi to stand in line and wait to cast his vote. Apart
from the unusual event of queuing up, the centre right leader
was also casually dressed and for once not wearing a tie.
As he was waiting to have his papers processed before
voting Berlusconi seemed to become a bit uneasy about the wait
and asked: "Is there some kind of problem?"
Seemingly relaxed in front of the press and with a broad
smile Berlusconi said he would not immediately be heading to
Rome after his vote.
"I will stay at home tonight and have a good night's
sleep," he said.
The results are expected on Monday morning.
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