All through the years of the Soviet empire, its Politburo held 'elections.' Of course, calling something an election and actually having it be an election are different things.

The government I led gave ordinary people peace, security, dignity, and opportunity to progress.

While living in America when I attended Harvard in the early 1970s, I saw for myself the awesome, almost miraculous, power of a people to change policy through democratic means.

I know death comes. I've seen too much death, young death.

The military destabilised my government on politically motivated charges.

What is important is that a political party articulates the mood of a generation.

Given the right to a free ballot, the people would support my return.