Italy's referendum a test for Prodi, Berlusconi

Italians will vote this weekend in a referendum on the constitution that has become a battleground between Romano Prodi's fledgling centre-left government and the recently ousted centre-right opposition.
The reform, the most radical shake-up of the constitution since it was introduced in 1948, aims to strengthen the power of the prime minister and hand more decision-making to the regions.
It will be a test of popular approval for Prodi's centre-left coalition, which opposes the changes as unconstitutional and has called on Italians to cast a "no" vote. Both parties have predicted victory but commentators say uncertainty over turnout make it impossible to call the outcome.
For former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, a defeat may affect his chances of carrying on as leader of the centre-right opposition after losing last April's elections.
The referendum is needed because it passed by only a simple majority in parliament last November instead of the two-thirds majority that would have made the changes automatic.
"A victory of the "no" vote may be the beginning of the waning of Berlusconi's political career," said Franco Pavoncello, president of Rome's John Cabot University. The changes would give Italy's 20 regions autonomy over health, schooling and policing. Critics say that would mean better services for richer northern regions, to the detriment of the poorer south.
Former President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, urged Italians to reject the changes, saying the constitution as it stands is "beautiful, vital and more relevant than ever."
Prodi's ruling centre-left says the changes would give too much power to the prime minister and weaken the role of the president, who has traditionally been an impartial arbiter.
Berlusconi, who claims vote fraud cost him the April vote, turned up the heat in typical style, saying: "I don't think one could feel worthy of being an Italian if one didn't vote 'Yes'."
The polls open on Sunday at 0600 GMT and close at 1300 GMT on Monday, when first projections will be released. Some 50 million Italians are eligible to vote in the referendum, which will be the third ballot this year after national and local elections. "I think "yes" is a good vote. But, quite frankly, I don't even know if I'm going to vote because I am fed up," said Gioacchino Marra, a resident of central Rome.