Berlusconi drops bid to be elected as Italy’s president

By FRANCES D’EMILIO
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Former premier Silvio Berlusconi has bowed out of Italy’s presidential election set for next week. Berlusconi said in a statement on Saturday that he had decided to “take another step on the path of national responsibility.” The media mogul insisted he had nailed down enough votes to become head of state but is asking his supporters not to cast ballots for him. Berlusconi, who has survived sex scandals and a tax fraud conviction, said he didn’t want to cause “polemics or lacerations” that the country can’t afford in a pandemic. Lawmakers in Parliament, as well as special regional electors, are expected to begin casting secret ballots on Monday to choose Italy’s next president.