This is something the people of the old Soviet block or Iraq could not do. Les, I think you'll find that the Soviet people - and democracy - were exactly the reasons the Soviet bloc was brought down. Remember how Yeltzin, sacked as city boss of Moscow by Gorbachev, got himself elected president of Russia? That presidency was a largely defunct sinecure when he went for it, but it gave him a colossal electoral mandate, enabling him to shunt out Gorby, who was to my mind the better guy.

Ake, don't mention the racist card, or new LAbour will grab it as their own!