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Furore over Berlusconi's comment

John Hooper

Berlusconi has confirmed himself to be an uncouth and vulgar man, says Opposition bloc

Rome: Silvio Berlusconi is accused of dragging Italy's already raucous general election campaign into the gutter when he declared that those who voted against him would be ``dickheads.''

Speaking to journalists about the expected outcome of the election next Sunday and Monday, the Italian Prime Minister said: ``I have too much respect for the Italians to think there are that many dickheads around who'd vote against their own interests.''

The centre-left Opposition reacted with condemnation. ``Berlusconi has confirmed himself to be an uncouth and vulgar man,'' said the Opposition bloc in a statement. ``By using these ignoble and violent words, Berlusconi has thrown off the mask and shown himself for what he is: a person who uses the media like a thug and who lacks any respect for democracy, for institutions and for Italians.''

The latest of many outrageous remarks during the campaign came the day after he promised to wipe out council taxes for first homes, during a bitterly contested television duel with his rival, Romano Prodi. Mr. Berlusconi also undertook to slash a levy on current account interest and, in a bid for women voters, promised to put more women in his next government, including a woman deputy prime minister. Alessandra Mussolini, who is running for Parliament in Mr. Berlusconi's alliance, claimed on Tuesday that she would be given the post.

The most recent polls found the right was trailing by up to five percentage points and suggested some 24 per cent of Italian voters were still ``don't knows.''

Mr. Berlusconi's outrageous comments during the campaign have ensured he remains the centre of attention. This week, a Milan newspaper reported that he had told a party meeting about a straw poll of sex chat lines he had conducted during a sleepless night. ``Seven out of nine of the young ladies who answered acknowledged they preferred me [to Mr. Prodi],'' he was quoted as telling his followers.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2006

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