Rome - The Italian Prime Minister, Mr Giuliano Amato, told the opposition leader, Mr Silvio Berlusconi, yesterday he would have to resolve a conflict between his business and political interests if he wanted to be Italy's next prime minister.
Winning next Sunday's general election would not be enough, Mr Amato said. Mr Berlusconi would have to convince Italians that his interests would not have a direct bearing on government decisions he may make. "When you want to govern, the vote is not enough to eliminate a conflict of interests," the Italian news agency, ANSA, quoted Mr Amato as saying in the Tuscan town of Scansano.
"This obsessive insistence on the election implies that winning it can wash everything clean," Mr Amato said. "It's not like that. The vote is necessary but it's not enough. How calmly, with what impartiality, can a prime minister take government decisions if they affect his own interests?"
If he wins, Mr Berlusconi's centre-right alliance will effectively control the three RAI state TV channels. His family holding company Fininvest holds 48.3 per cent of Mediaset, which runs Italy's other three main television networks.