Everything is in the balance until the last check. Uncertainty still reigns in Lecce, where the verdict of the local elections – victory in the first round for Adriana Poli Bortone or run-off against the outgoing mayor Carlo Salvemini – will be decided by a handful of votes.
The official result of the polls was postponed because, in four electoral sections of the city, inconsistencies were found in the numbers indicated in the minutes (voters, valid and canceled ballots), which made it necessary for an in-depth investigation by the central electoral office. Almost 2,200 votes are at stake, which will affect the final verdict: the partial one – relating to 98 sections out of 102 total, made official at 6.54 yesterday – in fact sees the centre-right candidate Poli Bortone just under the victory threshold with 49.64 percent of the preferences (24,749 votes)followed by the centre-left candidate Salvemini stuck at 47 percent (23,430 votes).
The challenge for the government of the city of Lecce is being played out by the skin of its teeth, hanging on the results that will arrive from sections 25, 26, 35 and 88 (the first two set up at the ITC Deledda, the others at the Banzi high school and the Itc Calasso). Yesterday afternoon, in the municipal police headquarters, the electoral commission was established at the Court of Lecce: chaired by judge Francesco Ottaviano, it will have to verify the data and make the results official. Representatives of the lists linked to the respective mayoral candidates can assist in the operations, one for each list.
The work came into full swing around 6pm, when the presidents and secretaries of the polling stations that had ended up in the eye of the storm were also summoned to provide clarifications on the compilation of the minutes. The first section examined by the commission was number 25; all the others have been postponed to today.
Poli Bortone: «My lists at 52%»
The partiality of the official data also affects the battle between the lists: Poli Bortone would have received 52 percent of the votes, but for the center-left it would be under 50 percent. Among the most voted candidates are Paolo Foresio (1435), Sergio Signore (1131), Antonio Rotundo (644) and Loredana Di Cuonzo (591) of the Democratic Party; Silvia Miglietta (883) of Lecce Città Pubblico, Christian Gnoni (768) of Civic Conscience. For the centre-right, however, there are Andrea Guido (1349 votes) and Gianmarco Pagliaro (689) of Udc-Puglia Popolare, Roberto Giordano Anguilla (769) of Fratelli d’Italia, Luciano Battista (673) of Forza Italia-EPP, Giampaolo Scorrano (Io Sud, 629 votes), Bernardo Monticelli Cuggiò (Prima Lecce, 695), Giancarlo Capoccia (MRS, 671).
Salvemini: «No risk of lame duck»
«My lists, which had been so unfairly attacked by the left-wing miscreants – comments Poli Bortone – have given a great performance, obtaining an extraordinary result: the former majority is largely overcome, the people of Lecce have already chosen for the future of Lecce» . A result that «calls for a high responsibility, because today we really need to ensure governability for the future administration of Lecce, to avoid the lame duck disaster».
«The game is wide open – replies the outgoing mayor Salvemini – I thank the 24 thousand people of Lecce who voted for me in the first round, who will be even more determined in the second round. I tell them to continue to mobilize and that there is no risk of a lame duck, even if it is evoked as a mere propaganda strategy by the centre-right.” In the event of a run-off, meanwhile, a rally by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni cannot be ruled outalready in Puglia for the G7, in support of the candidate Poli Bortone.
