1.   Critics accused Mr Berlusconi of surrendering the authority of the state to a few thousand extremists who could now claim victory.

2.   Not second, where he could claim a victory in the cockeyed estimations of winners and losers in presidential primary politics.

3.   Singh claimed victory over Harrington at the third extra.

4.   The election leaves it with no agenda for governing such division, even if it claims a victory.

5.   The election results were in and the President was able to claim victory.

6.   Where it had claimed a victory, the same crew of specialists dissected the results and fed them into the machinery.

7.   Both sides claimed substantial victories.