ROME -- Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta was meeting with President Napolitano Sunday to try and defuse a political crisis after the resignation of five ministers loyal to Silvio Berlusconi.

  A spokeswoman for Angelino Alfano, the deputy prime minister and leader of Berlusconi's PDL in the cabinet, announced the resignations Saturday a short time after Berlusconi accused Letta of reneging on an agreement by increasing Value Added Tax.

  Political experts said the reference to VAT evidently was an excuse allowing Berlusconi to try and have a new general election called before Parliament considers removing him from the Senate next week because of his conviction for tax evasion earlier this year. Signor Letta for his part said the PDL should express their grievances in a Parliamentary debate so that the whole country can bear witness to their machinations.

 Labour union leaders said they are planning demonstrations on Monday against Berlusconi's opportunistic opening of a crisis when Italy is struggling for economic recovery.