ROME - The Italian Radical Party, whose maverick leader has taken to dressing as a ghost, accused mainstream political forces on Sunday of seeking to sink a batch of seven referenda being held next weekend. Apathy over the forthcoming votes, which cover issues such as hunting rights and the abolition of the federation of journalists, is widespread anyway and opponents are lobbying hard to make sure voters to stay at home. "There is a move to get people out on the beaches and away from the ballot boxes," a member of the Radical party and European Commissioner Emma Bonino told a news conference. Under Italian law, 50 percent of the electorate has to vote for a referundum to be valid. Referenda have proved a remarkably powerful tool to force legislative change in Italy since the early 1970s, allowing people to intervene on matters that the country's ponderous parliament either cannot or will not handle on its own. The libertarian Radical Party, which was instrumental in getting divorce legalised through a popul

ar vote in 1974, has championed the referendum cause and originally called for 36 separate issues to go to ballot this year. The constitutional court accepted just six of its suggestions, along with one ballot proposed by the regions, but critics argue that even this is too many and say the subjects are of little interest to most Italians. "There are too many to rationally and calmly understand them all. Too many for them to keep their significance or use for a full democracy," L'Unita newspaper said in a front page editorial which advised people to boycott next Sunday's vote. The newspaper is controlled by the Democratic Party of the Left (PDS), the largest party in Prime Minister Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition government. In a bid to draw attention to the ballots, the 67-year old Radical party leader, Marco Pannella, has started appearing on television chat shows dressed as a ghost. "This is to show that there is only a phantom democracy in Italy," he says, shrouded in a white sheet. He is especially

angry that the vote is being held on a Sunday in mid-June when many Italians flee the heat of the cities and head to the coast. Pannella and Bonino held abrief sit-in at offices of state broadcaster Rai on Saturday to protest about the lack of airtime they have been given to explain the referenda. "If Italians don't vote on June 15 it means they will never vote (for referenda) again," Pannella said on Sunday. "We will struggle this week against the lies of the establishment." Although next week's referenda have caused little stir among vote-weary Italians, who have faced numerous general and local elections in recent years, some touch on important subjects and could have a big impact on future government policy if approved. Among these is a ballot which seeks to abolish the use of so-called "golden shares" that give the Treasury special powers in privatised companies deemed to be of public interest. Another demands the abolition of the agriculture ministry, while there is also a referendum aimed at re-organ

ising the role of magistrates and judges. In Italy, a referendum can only repeal laws or portions of laws. It is then up to parliament to draft new legislation in keeping with the spirit of the vote.