91.   But hopes for an election that would finally bring a measure of democracy to this North African nation were dashed when the six other candidates withdrew on election eve.

92.   But unlike Poland and the two other candidates, they were not invited by the North Atlantic Alliance to hold talks toward eventual membership.

93.   Critics say the only other candidate in the race, Jose Gonzalez Fernandez, was apparently handpicked by President Ernesto Zedillo, and thus is guaranteed the post.

94.   Each of the three other candidates received two negative votes from a permanent member, believed to be the United States and Britain.

95.   Fogh Rasmussen said he expected that the EU leaders would make a decision on Cyprus and the nine other candidate countries at an EU summit in Copenhagen in December.

96.   He easily defeated the nine other candidates seeking the seat in Tula, south of Moscow.

97.   His main rival, Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov is the only other candidate so far officially registered.

98.   His appointment itself became a source of contention after an advisory committee headed by South African Mendel Kaplan ruled out Leket, leaving Burg as the only other candidate.

99.   In what made for a surreal atmosphere, the other six candidates had been kept on the ballot despite their last-minute withdrawals.

100.   Mary Banotti, a Fine Gael member of the European parliament, was the only other candidate in double figures in the last poll published by The Irish Times.