Centre left wins Rome, Turin runoffs

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 18 - The centre left won Rome and Turin while the centre right held Trieste in mayoral runoffs in the remaining three regional capitals across Italy on Monday, after the centre left took Milan, Naples and Bologna in the fist round two weeks ago, making it a 5-1 score in Italy's big cities.
    The centre left also won five out of seven provincial capitals Monday.
    In Rome, Centre-left candidate Roberto Gualtieri thanked Romans for voting him in as their new mayor after projections showed him with an over 60%-40% lead over centre-right rival Enrico Michetti.
    "Thank you Romans for this so significant result, by which I feel honoured. I'll put everything into it," he said. "I'll be the mayor of all Roman women and Roman men, an of all the city.
    An extraordinary piece of work is beginning to relaunch Rome and make it grow, to make it become more inclusive and to make it work.
    "All the municipalities will be the fundamental engine for us, we want a city of quarters. I want to address all the social, economic and productive forces: it is time to realise a great pact for development and employment. I ask all the forces of this city, I ask everyone to participate for a great season of recovery".
    He added." we must work to overcome and reduce abstentionism" after a record low turnout.
    In Turin, centre-left candidate Stefano Lo Russo dedicated his mayoral runoff win to a late socially activist priest, Father Aldo Rabino, who "was a master for me, a father, a guide. A Salesian, and historic chaplain of Turin, Father Rabino, who did in 2015, started Lo Russo out on his career in volunteering and politics.
    In Trieste, meanwhile, centre-right incumbent mayor Roberto Dipiazza kept his job with 51.29% of the vote compared to 48.71% for the centre left's Francesco Russo.
    "I've won," Dipaiazza said, before phoning his defeated rival and vowing to work together on a major project to transform the Old Port.
    Regional capitals Rome, Turin and Trieste were among 10 provincial capitals to hold runoff votes on Sunday and Monday, in elections in 65 cities involving five million eligible voters.
    The other provincial capitals were Varese, Savona, Latina, Benevento, Caserta, Isernia and Cosenza.
    The centre left won all these except for Benevento where longtime mayor and former justice minister Clemente Mastella, this time running on a slightly right-of-centre ticket, retained his job.
    The centre left outdid the centre right in the first round, winning three of the six big cities up for grabs, Milan, Naples and Bologna, by getting over 50% and averting the need for runoffs. (ANSA).