Challenger Anwar Ibrahim leads a coalition of three opposition parties: his Parti Keadilan Rakyat, and the Islamist Parti Agama SeMalaysia and the Democratic Action Party.

BBC: Malaysian PM Najib Razak paves way for general election

He has worked to bridge divisions within the opposition, which includes the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, his own People's Justice Party and the Democratic Action Party, which mostly appeals to ethnic Chinese voters, and to turn the loose alliance into an effective campaign machine.

WSJ: Malaysia's Fresh Elections Offer Striking Choice

The proposed new electoral law risks turning the clock back to the days when Italy was repeatedly paralysed by coalition negotiations and run for most of the time by an all-encompassing Christian Democratic party that was incapable of decisive action.

ECONOMIST: Italian politics

Pena Nieto has made other changes that haven't drawn the fanfare, but have potentially far-reaching consequences for the power of the president, a once-imperial role during PRI rule that was weakened after the National Action Party won the presidency 12 years ago and ushered in a more democratic Mexico.

NPR: Mexico's President Gathers Power, Pushes Reform

On the other -- he will call on Congress, which is obviously a Republican and Democratic institution, with one house controlled by one party and another controlled by the other, to take action, collectively, in a bipartisan way.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing