They Just Won't Bow Out

By Clayton Neuman

Looks as if Florida has done it again. Just when the race to replace President George W. Bush's 2000-election confidant Katherine Harris in the 13th District had swung to Republican Vern Buchanan--by a mere 369 votes--his Democratic challenger, Christine Jennings, last week filed a lawsuit claiming that voting machines had failed to register 18,000 ballots. But Jennings isn't the only candidate for whom concession is taboo. Here's a look at some of this year's most bizarre and hotly contested elections around the world.

ITALY

Though down by almost 25,000 votes, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi refused to concede to Romano Prodi after April's elections. Berlusconi pointed to five ballot boxes discarded in Roman streets as evidence of error. After the results were upheld, he vowed to make Prodi's government "fall as quickly as possible." For the record, Prodi is still in charge.

MEXICO

Four months after losing the presidential vote to Felipe Calderon, former Mexico City Mayor Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador--alleging election fraud and dirty campaigning--launched a parallel government last week, even swearing himself in as Mexico's "legitimate" President. He plans to draft a constitution and prevent Calderon's Dec. 1 inauguration by staging street protests.

CONGO

In the Oct. 29 runoff between President Joseph Kabila and former rebel chief Jean-Pierre Bemba--three months after Congo's first free election in more than 40 years--Kabila led, with 58% of the votes. But Bemba, claiming "systematic cheating," has taken the case to the Supreme Court, where last week pro-Bemba protests erupted in violence. The resulting delays could hold off Kabila's Dec. 10 swearing in.

UGANDA

Months before Uganda's February election, President Yoweri Museveni's strongest opponent, Dr. Kizza Besigye, was arrested for treason and rape--charges he says were fabricated to stop his run. They were dismissed. Besigye won just 37% of the vote but took the matter to the courts. Judges found there were abuses, but not serious enough to affect the outcome.