Omar Suleiman

• This week's third place goes to Former UK Shadow Home Secretary David Davis.  Following his decision to resign as a Member of Parliament so that he could fight a by-election on the issue of civil liberties, Davis met with near universal derision from his colleagues in Westminster and the British press.  However, with opinion polls indicating that large swathes of the UK electorate actually support his action, journalists and politicians have had to moderate their tone.   While Davis may have done little to improve his immediate career prospects, he has, at least, wrong-footed the British commentariat.  
• In second place, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who recently signed a judicial reform bill designed to speed up trials and make them more transparent.  The bill has drawn fire from human rights groups, since it allows the authorities to detain suspects without charge.  Yet the measure is a mixed bag of reforms and also introduces the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.   Given that the legislation was passed through an opposition-controlled Congress, its enactment represents a significant victory for the Calderon government.
• This week's Political Masterstroke goes to Omar Suleiman, Director of Egypt's General Intelligence and Security Service.   The Egyptian was the driving force behind this week's ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the first such truce since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip last June.  Suleiman is probably the single most important 'outside' individual dealing with Palestinian groups and he has a wealth of experience mediating between Israel and the Palestinians.  While few see the ceasefire as leading to a lasting settlement between Israel and Hamas, it does, at least, provide some short-term relief for both sides.