Italians are to go to the polls on Sunday and Monday to elect the country's 61st government since the World War II.

    Voters will pick up 630 lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Parliament, and 315 in the Senate.

    Parties taking part in the elections are divided into two blocs -- the conservative center-right coalition led by Prime Minister Silvios Berlusconi and the center-left bloc headed by former premier and EU chief Romano Prodi.

Supporters of Italy's center-right Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi attend an election rally in Rome, Italy on April 6, 2006. (Xinhua Photo)

    Major parties in the center-right coalition include:

    -- Forza Italia, formed in 1994 by Berlusconi;

    -- The right-wing National Alliance, a former Neo-Fascist party that has turned into mainstream conservative;

    -- The Northern League, known for its anti-immigrant and tough stance on crime;

    -- The centrist Union of Christian Democrats, one of several small parties created after the collapse of the Christian Democrats in the early 1990s.

Italy's opposition leaders Luciana Sbarbati, Romano Prodi, Francesco Rutelli applause at the final pre-election rally of Prodi's centre-left coalition L'Unione at Piazza del Popolo in Rome, April 7, 2006, two days before Italy's general election on April 9-10. (Xinhua Photo)

    Major parties in the center-left include:

    -- The Democrats of the Left, the largest opposition party;

    -- The moderate Daisy party;

    -- The environmentalist Greens;

    -- Two Communist parties.

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