A united Opposition alliance -- galvanised by the sacking and jailing of the former deputy premier -- sees its best ever chance of ending the National Front's political domination in the November 29 parliamentary and state polls. Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whose National Front coalition now holds 166 of 192 parliamentary seats, is certain to win. But analysts say if he suffers a serious loss of seats or loses control of two more state assemblies, pressure may grow before ruling party elections next year for a change at the top. That is still a big "if" but what seems certain is that Mahathir would be savouring the prospect of another landslide without the Anwar saga.

Another certainty,according to both sides in the poll battle and analysts, is that this will be the nastiest and dirtiest election in the country's history. Sani Hamid of Singapore-based Standard and Poor's MMS, said the National Front "would have swept back to power if not for the Anwar saga." "We have not seen people on the streets in decades but now we have people demonstrating as a signal of their discontent. "Anwar has been the rallying point behind the Opposition." Mahathir, 73, acknowledged this week that before the economic crisis hit Asia, his plan was to hand over power to Anwar in 1998. Bruce Gale, of the Political and Economic Risk Consultancy in Singapore, said Mahathir brought Anwar -- a highly popular Islamic youth leader in the 1970s -- into government to get him on his side. "What he did not count on was Anwar using this incredible charisma and organising ability to his own benefit (to advance) in UMNO (the United Malays National Organisation, main party in the National Front)."