Italians are voting in a general election on Sunday to elect a new parliament and choose a new prime minister.

Center-right former prime minister and media magnate, Silvio Berlusconi, and center-left former Rome mayor, Walter Veltroni, are seen as the main contenders for Italy's premiership. Both candidates focused on economic matters during their election campaigns.

Polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. (6:00 GMT) and will close at 3:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT) on Monday.

Berlusconi, 71, has led opinion polls by a margin of several percentage points but the outcome of the parliamentary elections is expected to be close.

RIA Novosti


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