EU. The West is also dismayed by an electoral law, rammed through by Mr Tudjman's supporters, which fails to enfranchise Croatia's displaced ethnic Serbs while entrenching the voting rights of ethnic Croats in Bosnia and around the world, who, not surprisingly, tend to cast their absentee ballots for Mr Tudjman and his cronies.

ECONOMIST: Franjo Tudjman, awkward Balkan survivor

However, he said he was disappointed by the narrow remit of the committee after Gordon Brown said last year that it could address issues including weekend voting, the representation of women and ethnic minorities and whether voting age should be lowered to 16.

BBC: Probe into boosting minority MPs

But voting was largely on ethnic and linguistic lines, with the Swahili-speaking east voting for Mr Kabila and the Lingala-speaking west largely rejecting him.

ECONOMIST: Congo

White says it's hard to say how the changes will affect politics and that one can't assume that ethnic patterns will determine voting patterns.

CNN: Most U.S. children under 1 are minorities, Census says

Journalist Vladimir Gjuzelov, speaking from Skopje, told CNN that it would be very difficult for the declaration to be approved, as many parties were opposed to the move and would join ethnic Albanian deputies in voting against it.

CNN: NATO slams Macedonia rebel attacks

In recent years, attention has shifted to providing unfettered ballot access and voting assistance to tribal and ethnic groups who are entitled to federal protections.

CNN: Federal observers and monitors heading to polls

Since both men are from Lingala-speaking western Congo, they may succeed in adding a chunk of western votes to Mr Kabila's Swahili-speaking eastern support (the voting in July was mainly on ethnic and linguistic lines).

ECONOMIST: The speeches are fierce, the times are tense

This is not entirely surprising as voting patterns in Kenya are usually dictated by ethnic loyalties.

BBC: Did Kenya presidential debate make a difference?

But a snapshot of voting patterns in the 1994 general election shows that divisions between ethnic groups broadly mirror political affiliations.

ECONOMIST: Botswana