Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, hanging on to power amid the worst political crisis of his four-year tenure, will put his government's record to a vote of confidence this week, parliament officials said yesterday.

　　The premier is scheduled to deliver a speech this afternoon, first in the Senate and then at the lower house of parliament, Senate officials said. He will face the confidence vote the next day. If he loses, the government must resign.

　　Berlusconi is struggling to find a way out of the crisis, which started when his coalition suffered a crushing defeat at regional elections held across Italy earlier this month.

　　It was unclear who demanded the vote of confidence, although it was widely expected after Berlusconi resisted calls from his own allies to resign and reshuffle the Cabinet to strengthen his coalition. In a statement issued yesterday, Deputy Premier Gianfranco Fini - the premier's most important coalition ally - expressed "regret" that Berlusconi had not resigned.

　　Fini said his National Alliance party would continue to support the center-right coalition, but that the continued participation of its ministers "depends solely on what Berlusconi will say and do."

　　He said National Alliance ministers had prepared letters of resignation and that the party's leaders would meet following Berlusconi's address to parliament today. The opposition contends that the government is falling apart and is no longer able to run the country. It is pressing for early elections, currently scheduled for spring 2006.

　　"There's no government anymore. The only one who doesn't seem to realize is Silvio Berlusconi," said opposition lawmaker Willer Bordon, according to ANSA news agency.

　　Berlusconi's coalition has so far enjoyed a solid majority in parliament, and may still do so despite a key centrist party's decision last week to pull its officials from the government.

　　The party, the Union of Christian Democrats, or UDC, is guaranteed to vote with Berlusconi's coalition in parliament, despite the withdrawal of its ministers.

　　(The Associated Press)