Rome - said Friday the government would keep a "vigilant" eye following allegations of vote-rigging attempts in Sunday's and Monday's general election.

Amato cited the example of the southern city of Reggio Calabria, where prosecutors had informed him of "an attempt to rig votes from Italians living abroad".

He declined to provide further details, saying the matter was covered by "judicial secrecy".

During Italy' last parliamentary elections, in 2006, several irregularities regarding ballots cast by Italians living abroad were alleged. A subsequent enquiry found no evidence of wrongdoing.

Silvio Berlusconi has repeatedly claimed that his adversaries are planning to steal away victory from his centre-right People of Freedom party in this weekend's vote, which he expects to win.

He has not provided any evidence to back his claims.

Amato said ballots would be carefully "counted, one by one", at the cost of delaying the publication of results, due on Monday.

In the 2006 election, then outgoing prime minister Berlusconi blamed his narrow defeat on widespread fraud and refused to acknowledge the Romano Prodi-led centre-left's victory.

Only 24,000 votes, or 0.06 per cent of those cast, divided the two coalitions in what turned out to be the closest election in modern history.

Amato said Friday he had invited four former interior ministers - including three from the opposition centre-right - to join him at the Interior Ministry during the counting of the ballots.