Italy vote: Bersani leads left's primary vote Published duration 26 November 2012

image caption Pier Luigi Bersani, 61, faces a possible run-off against 37-year-old Matteo Renzi

Pier Luigi Bersani, head of Italy's centre-left Democratic Party, looks set to win the first round of a contest to lead the left into a general election next year.

With nearly half the votes counted, Mr Bersani led his main rival, Florence Mayor Matteo Renzi, by 44% to 37%.

If neither reaches a 50% majority, they will face a run-off vote on 2 December.

Nichi Vendola, the head of the leftist Left, Ecology, Freedom party was in third place with 14% of the vote.

Elections expected in early 2013 will choose a successor to Prime Minister Mario Monti's government.

The centre-left alliance leads polls ahead of the general election. Mr Monti's successor will face the challenge of addressing Italy's deep-rooted economic problems.

Speculation has been mounting as to whether Silvio Berlusconi would run for a fourth term in office, with the ex-premier suggesting on Saturday that he was thinking about returning to politics.