Italian quake victim asks to live with Berlusconi

ROME (Reuters) – A man made homeless by April's earthquake in central Italy has asked Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to keep his promise and provide victims with lodging in one of his houses.

Antonio Bernardini, whose home in the mountain city of L'Aquila was destroyed, wrote to Italy's Civil Protection agency saying he preferred lodging in Berlusconi's luxurious sea-side Sardinian villa or his residence in central Rome, "if possible."

"This is not a provocation, but a legitimate request based on the statements of the prime minister," Bernardini said.

Thousands of people made homeless by the April 6 quake still live in temporary accommodation in hotels or tent villages.

Bernardini said many were being exploited by unscrupulous hoteliers and felt little better than illegal immigrants.

"We find ourselves in conditions of weakness and inferiority," said Bernardini, whose elderly mother died just a month after he carried her from the wreckage of their house. "I live in a small hotel room far from my home town."

"Give us a concrete sign. If not me, then take in some other victims," he asked the prime minister.

Berlusconi, who will travel to the stricken region of Abruzzo on Saturday, won plaudits for his handling of the immediate aftermath of the 6.3 tremor, which killed nearly 300 people, boosting his image among supporters as a man of action.

During the rescue efforts, Berlusconi called on Italians to take in victims of the quake and said: "I will also do what I can by offering my houses." He promised to rebuild L'Aquila within 28 months and provide victims with new homes.

Since the earthquake, Berlusconi has been mired in a scandal surrounding his personal life, which erupted when his wife Veronica announced in early May she would seek a divorce because of his womanising, accusing him of "frequenting minors."

Berlusconi's strong popularity ratings have weathered the scandal, falling only four points since May to 49 percent according to a poll last month, but analysts warn his support could be seriously eroded by failure to keep promises to the earthquake victims or a steep rise in unemployment.