The Puerto Rican-Hispanic Political Council, of which I am an executive committee member, is a coalition of once-feuding Latinos, now united for political empowerment on the Lower East Side.

It is a coalition united under the banner Joint Meeting Parties, or J.M.P.

Eight years later, the tenuous coalition between black and Hispanic politicians - united in their opposition to a white Mayor, Edward I. Koch - collapsed when blacks endorsed Mr. Farrell for Mayor over Mr. Badillo.

A new surge of Iraqi resistance is sweeping up thousands of people, Shiite and Sunni, in a loose coalition united by overwhelming anti-Americanism.

A coalition of over 100 advocacy organizations, united under the banner of Mindfreedom.org in representing the psychiatric survivors movement, has been galvanized by their strong opposition to the New Freedom Commission.

Since then Mr. Edwards has joined his longtime allies among blacks and his longtime enemies in the business community into a coalition united by a common fear of Mr. Duke's extremist history.

Louisiana defeated David Duke through coalitions of whites, blacks, Jews, Christians, Republicans, Democrats, workers and businessmen, united by the determination that this man would not represent them.

But as a coalition of sovereign worlds, united for their mutual benefit, much of its administration could be localized.

Keeping these diverse coalitions united remained difficult when interests cut across party lines, and instead inflamed sectional feeling.

The 'Other Russia' coalition united around Gary Kasparov, for instance, has been stopped from taking part in the imminent parliamentary elections.