1.   Diplomats in the region have said that Saddam appears increasingly to regard the son, Qusay, as his preferred successor.

2.   His own preferred successor, Steve Soboroff, a fellow Republican businessman, placed third in the primary and failed to make it to the runoff.

3.   His preferred successor, Steve Soboroff, a Republican businessman, was third in the primary and failed to make it to the runoff.

4.   But Putin is seen as a Yeltsin loyalist, and the elderly president already has named him as a preferred successor.

5.   But he clearly wants to influence both the parliamentary elections and the presidential poll, and announced last week that Putin is his preferred successor.

6.   But Yeltsin, whose term expires next year, declared Putin would be his preferred successor.

7.   Chiluba is to step down as president after a decade in power and named his preferred successor as lawyer Levy Mwanawasa.

8.   Chiluba has said his preferred successor is lawyer Levy Mwanawasa.

9.   Ferguson has also anointed her as his preferred successor.

10.   However, he has said he will select a preferred successor.