The world waits on Bush

In his 54 years, he's baely stepped foot out of the United States, he's been arrested for drink-driving, rumoured to be dyslexic, and in a recent interview he couldn't name the Prime Minister of India, but George W. Bush, the compassionate Conservative, is to take on the world's most powerful political post.

After 34 days of court wrangling, mud-slinging and vote counting, the US presidential election has been decided, and the country is bracing itself for a second Bush era, as the famed Texas governor follows in the footsteps of his namesake and father.

The world will be watching with anticipation as Mr Bush is sworn in as the 43rd president of the United States on 16 January 2001, when the decisions of this one-time alcoholic will have an impact throughout the world.

When his opponent, vice-president Al Gore, finally conceded defeat on 13 December, world leaders wasted no time in flooding Mr Bush with the obligatory messages of congratulations, yet there is little doubt that many heads of states slept restlessly that night, in anticipation of the next four years.

One of the first foreign policy emergencies that will land on President Bush's desk will be the crisis in the Middle East. It is already certain that the commitment displayed by the current president Bill Clinton will be diminished under the coming Republican administration. In fact, Mr Bush is expected to commit far less time to foreign policy and to forging international links than his predecessor.

In Britain, the changeover has thrust into question the special relationship that the British and American governments have shared for some years. It is well known that Tony Blair and Bill Clinton have a personal friendship that stems from their agreement on many fundamental political issues, and facilitates their ability to forge close links between the two countries. And, although UK ministers are putting a brave face on the issue, it is apparent that these links will falter under a Republican administration.

On the day Mr Bush was first named as US president, the British foreign secretary Robin Cook said, 'The president of the US has an enormous machine and I'm quiet sure that George Bush, who has some very good foreign policy advisers and people with a long depth of experience in handling international relations will quickly establish his authority as the president.'

With the farcical uncertainty of the elections behind him, Mr Bush will no doubt want to focus his first months in office on reuniting his divided country. The rest of the world may have to wait before they get anything like the type of attention from the new president that they enjoyed from Bill Clinton.

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