- ROME: Italians are having their say in referendums on national nuclear and water policies, while deciding if they want to reject a law critics of the premier say is tailor-made to help him in criminal cases.
Citizens can vote Sunday or Monday on any or all of four referendums — two of which concern Silvio Berlusconi’s plans to privatize the nation’s water supplies, while a third seeks to thwart his plans to revive nuclear energy.
Italy’s nuclear power plants were shut down after a similar, 1987 referendum.
The fourth could reject a law that gives the premier and other top officials some protection from prosecution.
For a referendum to be valid, more than 50 percent of the eligible voters must cast ballots.