ROMANO PRODI'S CENTRE-LEFT COALITION CLAIMED VICTORY IN ITALY'S LOCAL ELECTIONS MONDAY AS PROVISIONAL RESULTS SHOWED ITS CANDIDATES HAD TRIUMPHED IN THREE OF THE FOUR BIG CITIES UP FOR GRABS, DPA REPORTED. THE VOTE CAME JUST WEEKS AFTER PRODI'S NARROW VICTORY IN THE APRIL 9-10 GENERAL ELECTION AND APPEARED TO CONFIRM A FAVOURABLE TREND FOR THE FORMER EUROPEAN COMMISSION HEAD. PROJECTIONS BASED ON A SAMPLES OF VOTES SHOWED THAT INCUMBENT CENTRE-LEFT MAYORS WERE POISED FOR RE-ELECTION IN ROME, TURIN AND NAPLES. THE BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE DAY CAME FROM MILAN, WHERE LETIZIA MORATTI, A CABINET MINISTER IN THE OUTGOING SILVIO BERLUSCONI GOVERNMENT, WAS ENGAGED IN A NECK-TO-NECK RACE WITH THE CENTRE-LEFT'S CANDIDATE, BRUNO FERRANTE. THE INDUSTRIAL HUB IS TRADITIONALLY RIGHT-WING AND MOST PUNDITS HAD EXPECTED MORATTI TO WIN BY A LANDSLIDE. THE OUTCOME OF THE MILAN VOTE WAS STILL TOO CLOSE TO CALL BY LATE MONDAY, WITH SUPPORT FOR MORATTI HOVERING JUST ABOVE 50 PER CENT. CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT OBTAIN AN ABSOLUTE MAJORITY IN THE FIRST ROUND FACE A RUN-OFF IN A SECOND VOTE TO BE HELD ON JUNE 11-12. AS EXPECTED, BERLUSCONI'S COALITION RETAINED CONTROL OF THE REGIONAL GOVERNMENT OF SICILY, A TRADITIONAL CONSERVATIVE STRONGHOLD, WITH INCUMBENT GOVERNOR SALVATORE CUFFARO GAINING A SECOND MANDATE DESPITE A RECENT INDICTMENT ON MAFIA ASSOCIATION CHARGES.
