41.   There was no indication that Poland was heading for anything but a peaceful transfer of presidential power this weekend to the ex-Communist party chief, Alexander Kwasniewski.

42.   This peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet common in our country.

43.   With a history marred by war, factional feuding and harsh theocratic rule, Afghans are looking forward to the first peaceful transfer of power in decades.

44.   The United States urged Zairean rebel leader Laurent Kabila Friday to order his forces to stop their advance on Kinshasa and to negotiate a peaceful transfer of power.

45.   With many mujahedin fighters in tears, Karzai embraced outgoing president Burhanuddin Rabbani in the first peaceful transfer of power in decades between recognised Afghan governments.

46.   Rene Preval was sworn in as president of Haiti Wednesday, succeeding Jean-Bertrand Aristide in the first peaceful transfer of power between two democratically elected presidents.

47.   Rabbani is to stand down later this month after the United Nations put in place a mechanism for a peaceful transfer of power to a more widely based government.

48.   State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns urged Kabila to order his forces to stop their advance on Kinshasa and to negotiate a peaceful transfer of power.