It's My Party...

It's My Party... And I'll Cry If I Want To: The prospect of sitting through the annual convention of the United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, could make anyone weepy. But Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad is supposed to be made of sterner stuff, and anyway, he's UMNO's president. Nonetheless, at the convention's closing ceremony last Saturday, the normally steely Mahathir burst into tears, announced he was quitting all his posts and was escorted offstage. The 76-year-old had spent the convention bemoaning the laziness of the country's Malay population, which he's tried to bootstrap into prosperity for two decades. Luckily, his party rejected the resignation. Of course, UMNO needs Mahathir, fair mood or foul: the PM is expected to call a general election next year and without the old man, the party cadre could be weeping.

From TIME's WorldWatch:
In a bizarre political drama, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said he was quitting all his posts in the United Malays National Organization and the ruling National Front coalition. An hour later, officials said he had changed his mind after protests from other senior politicians. Opponents labeled Mahathir's announcement, made live on national TV from the annual UMNO conference, a "desperate attempt to fish sympathy and votes."