Tutsis ruled the country from independence in 1962 until they unexpectedly lost political power in a 1993 multi-party election.

ECONOMIST: The Hutu-Tutsi divide: Spreading poison in the Great Lakes | The

Some Arab regimes represented at the summit floated the idea of delaying the elections perhaps because they feel queasy at the thought of a genuine multi-party election, especially one that will produce a Shia-led government.

ECONOMIST: Rays of light amid the gloom | The

On December 25th, the old autocrat, who lost the presidency to Frederick Chiluba in a multi-party election in 1991, was arrested under emergency laws introduced by President Chiluba after an abortive military coup two months ago.

ECONOMIST: Zambia

The breakaway state of Somaliland held its first multi-party general election since it seceded from anarchic Somalia, of which it is still legally a part, more than a decade ago.

ECONOMIST: Turkey and the EU

The ruling Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) won the country's first multi-party general election for 16 years, getting 80% of votes cast to 10% for the main opposition party, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA).

ECONOMIST: Politics this week

His fifth election, in 2005, was Egypt's first multi-party presidential vote, but many considered that, too, to be a sham.

CNN: For Mubarak, once Egypt's strongman, a long fall from grace