Grillo ducks referendum face-off (2)

(ANSA) - Rome, October 26 - Anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Beppe Grillo on Wednesday said he did not need to face off against Premier Matteo Renzi over the government's controversial Constitutional reform overhauling Italy's political machinery, which will be put to a popular referendum on December 4. "I've already faced off against Renzi, go and see it," he told reporters, referring to one of his blog posts. The M5S is among the many opposition forces campaigning for a No vote in the referendum, which could have a big knock-on effect for the government. Renzi had initially vowed to step down if the reform was defeated but has since stepped back from that pledge. Most opinion polls put the No campaign slightly ahead.