Indeed, Olmert and his deputy and successor as leader of the Kadima party outgoing Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni never developed any coherent position on Iran at all.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Remembering Olmert's true record

The outgoing US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is in that privileged position, and he's let rip about some of America's allies in Nato.

BBC: Robert Gates on Nato's dim future

The outgoing officer's first assistant can automatically fill the position for 120 days, at which point (or before) the President must put forth a nominee, or the President can appoint any other officer previously confirmed by the Senate.

FORBES: Fact and Comment

Even if his PML-N does not have an outright majority, its projected margin of victory suggests it will be in a much stronger position than the PPP was at the head of the outgoing coalition.

BBC: Pakistan vote: Nawaz Sharif in talks on new government

He does not want to be over-dependent on the mood among deputies: although TIM held 120 of the seats in the outgoing assembly, there is no guarantee that it will maintain such a dominant position in the new house.

ECONOMIST: Madagascar's government calls an early election

Outgoing Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi last week said Italy has "a very solid position" on the marines' case.

WSJ: India Extends Ban on Italian Envoy