ROME: Silvio Berlusconi on Saturday condemned outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti's plan to lead a centrist alliance in Italy's election in February, accusing him of a plot to favour the left, but centrist leaders denied any secret accord.
Monti, who replaced Berlusconi as prime minister last year as Italy scrambled to avert a financial crisis, said on Friday he wanted to unite a broad coalition of factions around a reform agenda aimed at easing the country's economic woes.
Monti ended weeks of speculation when he confirmed his bid for a second term, pitting him against the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and Berlusconi's centre-right People of Freedom (PDL) party in a three-way contest.
Speaking to reporters at Milan Central railway station, Berlusconi said Monti wanted to help the left secure power after the Feb. 24-25 election so he could continue his austerity agenda of tax hikes and spending cuts.
"This grouping has been formed to favour the left - also the harmony with the left's programme they have celebrated heads in this direction," he said, after earlier describing Monti as "the spare wheel" of the PD in an interview with Vista TV.
The 76-year-old billionaire, who caught the train from Rome with his new 27-year-old partner, Francesca Pascale, said he did not believe Italian voters would "fall into the trap" which he said was aimed at stealing votes from the centre right.
But Pier Ferdinando Casini, head of Italy's oldest and largest centrist party, the UDC, which is cooperating with Monti, strongly denied the accusations.
"Our initiative was not born with the support of the PD. It has not been started with a predetermined alliance until election day, what's important is aiming for the majority," Casini said at a news conference on Saturday.
Center>Copyright Reuters, 2012
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