ROME — A confident Romano Prodi insisted Wednesday that his center-left coalition's Italian election victory was on solid ground, even as Premier Silvio Berlusconi called the vote fraudulent and demanded the result be overturned.
Prodi, an economist and former European Commission president, won by a narrow margin in this week's parliamentary election. But he heads a potentially divided coalition that relies on parties ranging from pro-Vatican moderates to Communists.
"I do not fear a reversal of the results," Prodi said a day after official Interior Ministry returns gave him the victory.
He again played down concerns over the political viability of his coalition. "Our victory is safe," he said. "There's the possibility of governing for five years."
Berlusconi, meanwhile, refused to concede defeat and renewed his call for a thorough recount, alleging voting irregularities.
"There are many frauds. Many," he told reporters as he left his office, in comments carried by the Apcom and ANSA news agencies.
The dispute could usher in a period of uncertainty over the results, a process that may take weeks. The outcome of the election must be approved by Italy's highest court, and it is up the president to give the head of the winning coalition a mandate to form a government
Berlusconi alluded to the possibility of a long wait.
"The (election) results must change," Berlusconi said. "There are (voting) reports from more than 60,000 districts to verify — one by one."
He added: "You thought you were rid of me?"
The premier's comments prompted an immediate response from Prodi, who was prime minister from 1996 to 1998. "We have won," he said in his hometown of Bologna. "It's useless for Berlusconi to find excuses or cause delays. He must go home."
Earlier, Prodi noted that French President Jacques Chirac had called to congratulate him, but other world leaders, including President Bush and Pope Benedict XVI, had not.
Prodi also indicated that he would count on the support of Italy's senators for life to ensure stability in parliament — an additional seven legislators appointed by the president.
"They vote and they're part of the Senate," Prodi said.
Prodi said he had begun talks on selecting a Cabinet, meeting with coalition parties earlier Wednesday. He did not say when the government might be assembled but played down the uncertainty caused by Berlusconi's demands.
"I do not know what he's talking about," Prodi said. "Since he controls everything, he doesn't trust himself." Berlusconi has demanded a careful "check" of the votes.
After each election in Italy, each district goes back and checks ballots that were contested but could not be immediately voided or attributed to any party.
Italy's top criminal court, the Court of Cassation, uses the districts' reports to recalculate the number of lawmakers assigned to each party.
The race for the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, produced some 43,000 contested ballots — while Prodi's coalition won by a mere 25,000 votes.
In the 315-member Senate, Prodi's coalition won 158 seats to the center-right's 156, and one independent was elected.
Berlusconi, referring to the vote of Italians abroad, which proved crucial in the Senate race, said: "There are many irregularities and therefore it's possible that this is not a vote we can say is valid."
Election-related complaints are made to the electoral committees of each chamber of parliament, and must come within 20 days from when the new lawmakers are proclaimed.