The head-to-head between the centre-right candidate continues, Paolo Truzzu, and the political rival supported by Pd and M5S, Alessandra Todd. In the Sardinian regional elections, Todde initially seemed to have a large advantage, but during the afternoon Truzzu had managed to take the lead. Around 20pm, thanks to the vote of the cities, the centre-left candidate has recovered the lost ground, overtaking his rival again and getting closer to victory.
Sardinia: Truzzu penalized by the split vote
With 1.321 sections scrutinized out of 1.844, Todde is at 45,5% compared to Truzzu's 45,2%. The other two candidates are much more distant. The former president of the region Renato Soru, in his third re-nomination, he is at 8,4%, while the five lists that support him (Liberu, Progetto Sardegna, +Europa-Azione con Soru, Vota Sardigna and Rifondazione Comunista) stop at 7,7%. At the moment, they therefore do not reach the 10% threshold set by the electoral statute law for coalitions. Lucia Chessa, candidate from Sardigna R-existe is around 1%.
From the analysis of the partial results of candidates and lists it emerges that Truzzu was largely penalized by the disjoint vote which allows the voter to express their preference for a candidate not connected to the chosen coalition or list. In fact, the lists linked to him overall exceed 49% of the votes
Sardinia: Todde ahead in the cities
The vote of the cities favors Todde's overtaking. TO Cagliari, the city in which Truzzu is mayor, with 147 sections scrutinized out of 173, Todde is at 53,13% while the centre-right candidate is at 34,57%. TO Sassari the Pd-M5s candidate has an advantage of over 17 points; to Nuoro, his city, the gap is 20 points and the vote is already closed. Truzzu is instead a conquest Olbia and Oristano.
The results of the lists
Having exceeded 70% of the votes counted, the Democratic party it is the first party with 14,2%, followed closely by Brothers of Italy with 13,8%. Third the Movement 5 Stars with 7,7%, while Forza Italy it's at 7. Bad there Alloy, stopped at 3,7% and surpassed by I Sardinian Action Party, movement of the outgoing and non-renominated governor, Christian Solinas, who is currently at 5,5%.
The controversy over the counting
The counting continues slowly and in the late afternoon Alessandra Todde's staff revealed strong "disappointment at the Region's choice not to upload the data of the large municipalities where Todde would be far ahead". It would be, they denounce, "a desired communication strategy born to extend until tomorrow uncertainty about the winner".
The Region's response was timely: “IThe Region's IT system works perfectly, if the data are uploaded by the municipalities, and they are uploaded correctly, they are immediately evident,” the director of the electoral service Sergio Loddo told journalists in the region's press room. “The counting is complex, the ballot paper is complicated, the procedures are complex and therefore it takes time. But it is the Municipalities that must upload the data correctly, if the municipalities don't upload it we from the region cannot do anything".
The comments of the leaders
Just before setting off for Sardinia, Giuseppe Conte, intercepted byHandle, said: “Whatever happens I want to hug our Alessandra Todde. There weren't many who imagined such an open challenge in Sardinia. We go to the photo finish, the result is a close call and can be decided by a handful of votes. Whether we win or lose, however, it will still have been an extraordinary result and Alessandra Todde deserves the embrace of our entire community for the great work done." On the same flight as Conte and also headed towards Cagliari, also the dem leader, Elly Schlein.
“A joint statement from the centre-right on the vote in Sardinia? We await the final results. When the final results are there we will talk", said the deputy prime minister and secretary of Forza Italia, Antonio Tajani, answering journalists' questions. “Will the balance change after the Sardinian vote? Nothing changes, neither in the majority nor in the government, nor in the choices. We are all very calm, no one is nervous. We are seraphic”, he added, then speaking about the next electoral appointments: “Let's move forward to win in Abruzzo, in Basilicata where I am absolutely convinced that the candidate will be Bardi”.
