New Year developments

Thailand: political uncertainty

In Resurgent Thaksin?, we said that Thailand's 45 million voters would be asked to choose the country's next leaders, but it remained to be seen whether their wishes expressed through a ballot would be heeded.

• The People's Power party, a reincarnation of Thaksin's now-defunct Thai Rak Thai, won the December election, but fell just eight seats short of an overall parliamentary majority.
• The most likely outcome of the election is a prolonged period of political uncertainty that will have an impact on the economy and international perceptions of stability.

Kibaki names cabinet

In Kenya: photo finish, we wrote that any new president would face the prospect of a coalition government, which could stymie the reform process.

• Post-election violence has already killed 300 people and displaced 100,000.
• President Mwai Kibaki last week named about half of the positions in his cabinet, including Kalonzo Musyoka as vice-president, sparking new unrest.
• The appointment of even a partial cabinet suggests that Kibaki is confident that he will be able to weather the controversy surrounding his re-election. Moreover, Musyoka's appointment limits ODM-Kenya opposition party leader Raila Odinga's ability to outflank Kibaki in parliament.

Georgia: opposition simmers

In Georgian elections, we wrote that if Tbilisi wished to retain Western support, a snap presidential election on Saturday needed to be fair and free.

• Last week, the country's Central Electoral Commission announced official results of the election: it said that President Mikheil Saakashvili had won with 52% of the vote.
• Opposition presidential candidate Levan Gachechiladze yesterday demanded a second-round run-off, claiming that he was the real winner of the snap election.
• Saakashvili's ability to rein in the opposition without using force will be key to his ability to conduct a coherent domestic policy during his second term in office.

Bolivia: crisis averted

In  Bolivian discord,  we wrote that Bolivia's President Evo Morales was set to meet with opposition governors to seek a way out of a political crisis threatening to split the country.

• Morales proposed talks on a "national accord", which would address issues such a regional autonomy, constitutional reform and revenue distribution.
• Dialogue between the government and opposition will be protracted, but the latest initiative should avert serious crisis for the time being.

Political Masterstroke

The World Next Week Political Masterstroke award goes toHillary Clinton. The extraordinary excitement that surrounded Barack Obama's win in Iowa --and polling data that showed him comfortably ahead in New Hampshire --created a premature sense that Clinton's candidacy was doomed. Thus, her narrow triumph in New Hampshire has outsized resonance.

Analytica™

Worthy of note, or news to us.

Peace deal in sight

US President George Bush thinks an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is feasible during his term of office.

Colombia: rebels free hostages

Guerillas have freed two women they have been holding, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says.

And finally…

Tata Motors has unveiled the world's cheapest motorcar at India's biggest car show in the capital, Delhi. The car is a spartan affair: it has no air conditioning, no electric windows and no power steering.