WRAP Berlusconi and Prodi in last rally before elections

(8 Apr 2006) SHOTLIST
Naples
++AUDIO AS INCOMING++
1. Wide of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi supporters and flags
2. Mid of Berlusconi supporters and flags
3. Mid of flags and banners
4. Men holding t-shirt reads (Italian) "Silvio a daft ass"
5. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Vox Pop, Berlusconi supporter:
"I vote for Berlusconi because on the other side there is the left which is not very credible, (a candidate) who is a communist, and it is not a case of voting for the left. It is hard. We are starting from a lesser point, we will try as a gesture of solidarity to our president (of his party), who is great."
6. Cutaway crowd of supporters waving flags
7. Various of two women wearing T shirts supporting Berlusconi
8. Wide of crowd waving flags
9. Wide set up of Berlusconi and officials on stand waving to crowd
10. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Silvio Berlusconi, Italian prime minister:
"Would you like to be governed by a man who idolised Stalin, Lenin, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, by a man who still today admires Fidel Castro?"
Crowd: "No!"
Berlusconi: "I presume that to be the right answer."
11. Crowd with flags cheering
12. Wide of Berlusconi supporters signs, blue and white balloons
13. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Silvio Berlusconi, Italian prime minister:
"You can rest assured that Sunday and Monday we will win, because we are not "coglioni" (a vulgarism that roughly translates as morons - referring to those intending to vote for the opposition)."
++NIGHT SHOT++
14. Wide of supporters waving flags
AP Television
Rome
15. Wide of crowd at Italian centre-left coalition leader Romano Prodi''s rally in Piazza del Popolo
16. Mid of banner showing the cover of the Italian edition of English current affairs magazine ''The Economist'' with a picture of Berlusconi on the cover and the word ''Basta''
17. Mid of flags, crowd
18. Wide of flags, crowd
19. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Romano Prodi, Italian centre-left coalition leader:
"Mine is not only an appeal to go to the polls, but a call for the reconstruction of the country. A call for the reconstruction of Italy. It is a call for young people to learn and to dare. A call for the old people to give us wisdom and protect the memory of our history. A call for women to give their contribution to rebuild a country able to carry the mark of their skills. After five sad years, we have the opportunity for a change, and we must renew our pride in being Italians."
20. Pan of flags with Prodi waving to crowd
21. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Vox pop, Prodi supporter:
"I think Prodi is a serious person who knows how to lead the country and to rebuild it and go forward."
22. Man wearing t-shirt reading "I am a ''coglione'' ("moron")"
23. Ulivo banner
24. Wide of supporters
STORYLINE
Italians get a break from bitter political rhetoric on Saturday, a day before general elections and at the end of a divisive race that was largely consumed by mud-slinging.
Premier Silvio Berlusconi and his centre-left rival, Romano Prodi, wrapped up their campaigns on Friday, the last day campaigning was allowed, with the premier calling his supporters an "army of freedom" and Prodi appealing for unity.
The final days of campaigning had been nasty.
In a speech to small business owners, one of his power bases, Berlusconi on Tuesday shocked the nation by referring to those intending to vote for the opposition as "coglioni", a vulgarism that roughly translates as morons.
He repeated it on Friday in Naples.
"You can rest assured that Sunday and Monday we will win, because we are not ''coglioni'', he told his cheering supporters.
Both leaders head fractious coalitions of parties.

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