The votes of 40,000 Canadian citizens who qualify as “Italians abroad,” some of whom have never set foot in Italy and many of whom don’t speak Italian, played a pivotal role in the defeat of billionaire Silvio Berlusconi in Italy’s election yesterday, according to poll results released late last night.
For the first time in history, a country’s political fate appears to have been determined by citizens of other countries, after Mr. Berlusconi introduced a scheme in 2002 that defines eligible Italian voters by blood lines rather than residency.
As it became apparent yesterday that he had been defeated by this system, which provides 12 deputies and six senators to represent Italians on foreign soil, the Prime Minister and media magnate reacted with outrage.
In a sombre speech yesterday, delivered shortly after official vote counts showed tight victories in both Italian legislatures for the left-wing coalition of Romano Prodi, Mr. Berlusconi said he would not accept the results.
Heh. Can’t wait til the Republicans are defeated by their own Diebold hacks….
One Response
that is very kewl, I have family in Italy and Berlusconi is a scoundrel. Its nice to see he laid the seeds of his own defeat.