World press frets over US result

Newspapers around the world reflect the hopes and fears of nations awaiting the outcome of the US presidential election.

Opinion columns focus on how the result will affect a range of domestic and regional issues as well as international concerns like the war on terror.

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Russia has nothing to fear from Bush. Vladimir Putin is an excellent ally in the fight against terrorism...But if John Kerry becomes president, Putin would have to think about his own policy. The issue of Chechnya, the abolition of elections for governor, possible amendments to the constitution allowing unlimited presidential tenure, all this would have to be explained to the new leader of the USA, who does not understand the logic of the Russian president's statements that he managed to save the remains of the Soviet Union.

Columnist in Russia's Trud

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Germany, Europe and the entire world long for the end of the Bush era. They fear that, at the end of this long election day, Kerry will not make it.

Editorial in Germany's Berliner Zeitung

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Whoever is elected president, (America's) foreign policy on Iraq, Iran, North Korea or Europe will be the same... We cannot ask the American Administration, be it Democrat or Republican, to share the leadership of the world with a divided, feeble and pusillanimous Europe. And even less, with a Europe which has no wish to exercise leadership, no army, no diplomacy, no development strategy... and not even a clear notion of its own interests.

Columnist in the France's L'Express

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Sino-US relations seem totally calm, and the phenomenon of the two candidates competing with each other to attack China has not materialised. The stable development of Sino-US relations during the election period is worthy of full affirmation. It indicates that Sino-US relations are maturing day by day.

Columnist in Hong Kong's pro-Beijing Ta Kung Pao

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It is apparent that whoever wins, Washington will increasingly incline towards Beijing in the triangle of relations between the US, China and Taiwan. For Beijing, it is clear that Washington will not side with Taipei if the island takes a path towards independence.

Columnist in Hong Kong's The Standard

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No matter who wins the US presidential election, more pressure will be put on Taiwan to refrain from making moves or 'trouble' that could hurt what the current administration in Washington perceives as US national interests... Hence, discussions on whether Bush or Kerry is 'friendlier' to Taiwan are meaningless.

Editorial in Taipei's Taiwan News

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As political dramas go, it is a Hollywood blockbuster with a worldwide release. And like the reach of American power, it is a story that matters in every corner of the globe... Mr Bush has, undoubtedly, forged a special bond with the Prime Minister, John Howard. A Kerry victory would lower the volume of bilateral bonhomie. Senator Kerry would have other priorities; especially re-engagement with a vocally disillusioned Europe. But the fundamental friendship would remain the same. For whoever wins today, Australia remains a firm US ally.

Editorial in The Sydney Morning Herald

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The working assumption in Jerusalem is that Bush, if re-elected, will be more aggressive in his demand that Sharon follow through on the promise to evacuate the outposts and limit construction in the settlements. Kerry, if elected, is expected to send an envoy to the region and to show that he is acting to resuscitate the peace process after four years of paralysis... Sharon is not worried. Bush and Kerry are both firmly against the terror so they will not be giving away any discounts to the Palestinians.

Commentator in Israel's Ha'aretz

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To us, it is the same whether Bush leaves [the White House] or Kerry wins. Our conviction is that the official US stance on the Palestinian case will not change.

Commentator in Palestinian Al-Hayat al-Jadidah

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If Kerry wins, Arabs will discover that he is worse than his predecessor. We should not expect miracles or even mere policy changes as long as Arabs are hibernating, happy to be humiliated, ignored and marginalized.

Commentator in London-based Pan-Arab Al-Hayat

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What have Arab leaders done to help either the elephant or the donkey to win? The victory of Bush Junior in the elections will strengthen the Franco-European alliance to the detriment of the Europe-Transatlantic alliance; a new multipolar model will dominate international relations.

Commentator in London-based Pan-Arab Al-Quds Al-Arabi

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The eyes of the world will turn today to the US to see who is going to be the next president of the superpower which pursues an unbalanced policy on international issues, especially the issues of the [Middle East] region. What Arabs and Muslims want from the next president is to show encouraging signs that support their causes, since they have suffered more than anyone else from America's hegemonistic policies.

Editorial in Syria's Tishrin

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The Islamic world does not expect to see much change, whoever wins. Both Kerry and Bush are pro-Zionist, so the Muslims are not very optimistic about the results. Both Kerry and Bush favour neo-liberal capitalist economics, so the masses of the Third World also do not see much difference between them. At the end of the day, this is more of a selection than an election.

Editorial in Iran's Tehran Times

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Changing the high-ranking officials in the US won't lead to a change in America's major policies. Kerry like Bush is in favour of fighting with Iran, even militarily. But experience has shown that Bush is a character who can change his mind more often than Kerry. Bush and his administration are usually willing to take more risks than Kerry and his advisers. It is this characteristic of Bush which has attracted the attention of Iranian officials.

Editorial in Iran's Mardom-Salari

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The important thing is the policy that the new president will pursue towards Palestine, Iraq and the Muslim world. Throughout the election campaign, Kerry has shown that he is no different from Bush on these issues. Moreover, he made an incredible effort to show that he is even more pro-Israeli and pro-Jewish than Bush.

Commentator in Turkey's Yeni Safak

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Pretoria and much of the South African public hope that Kerry will trounce Bush. In most of Africa Bush is resented for invading Iraq and for his rejection of a multilateral approach to international problem-solving. This despite the fact that Bush has pledged unprecedented amounts in aid to the continent for development, fighting HIV/AIDS, peacekeeping training and supporting reformist governments... No matter who is in power, Washington will pay a lot more attention to Africa in the future. Africa is top of the Group of Eight agenda at the summit next June, and that alone will give impetus to a greater focus on the continent. Whether Bush or Kerry is elected, it is likely that the US administration will take a fresh look at a number of world problems. One of these, with serious consequences for SA, is Zimbabwe.

Columnist in South Africa's Business Day

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It matters gravely to Kenyans who wins this election. It is tiny countries such as ours that reap the whirlwind of what is now fortress America. Bush repeatedly stated at the presidential debates that leading America is "hard work". We agree with him. His dubious record reflects the job is way too hard for him... We hope to wake up, on Wednesday, to President John Kerry and a return to reason. It is a present Americans owe the world.

Editorial in Kenya's Sunday Standard

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We 'vote' for the president who will energize programmes like the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and other American-led initiatives aimed at steering us out of poverty and other social malaise that plague the continent. Most importantly, we also look up to the US to encourage African governments adopt more democratic approaches to governance. Our prayer is that the US gets a president who cares for development in Africa.

Editorial in Rwanda's New Times

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US presidential candidate John Kerry has said he would help resolve the Kashmir dispute, if elected. We say such attractive claims are made only to grab the votes of American Muslims. The USA has no sympathy with the Muslims brutalized in Kashmir, Palestine, Chechnya, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Editorial in Pakistan's Nawa-i-Waqt

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No matter how this feverish race for the White House will end, with its political, economic and military intricacies, what concerns us here in Iraq are the expected repercussions of the defeat of the presidential president against his democratic rival. The Iraqi street is wondering if America's position in Iraq will change if Kerry wins, a question implying many smaller questions all revolving around whether America will stay the course in Iraq or run for its life

Editorial Iraq's Al-Shira

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If the US presidential elections were held on the Continent, John Kerry would definitely win. But Europe's "looking forward to Kerry" is a bit irrational. If Kerry wins, Europeans can expect better communication with the Washington administration, but America will retain its different approach to many key issues affecting today's world. Europe's Kerry dreams might soon be shattered. The war on terror has changed everything. Europeans tend to forget this. George Bush has indeed failed in many ways as regards his relationship with the Continent but the opportunistic Democrat John Kerry's worship of Europe smacks of naivety. Whoever the winner, not much will change for Europe.

Editorial in Czech Republic's Czech Mlada fronta

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BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.