Mr. Draskovic is one of the most unpredictable and mercurial political leaders here.

Few have ever described Moktada al-Sadr, the mercurial leader of Iraq's mightiest Shiite militia, as a statesman.

Mr. Mugabe is widely viewed as a proud and mercurial leader who responds poorly to public criticism.

Khrushchev biographer Tompson described the mercurial leader:

But shortly after 10 p.m., the news started to spread: Mr. Chávez, the mercurial leader who had been deposed just 43 hours earlier, was coming home.

While he was a mercurial and often restless leader, and not always a wise king, he was considered one of the greatest military commanders of his time.

The mercurial and enigmatic longtime leader who ran his nation with an iron rod was 69.

In existence from 1968 through 1988, its rise and fall mirrored that of its charismatic and mercurial leader, Michael Metelica.

The elections this Sunday are expected to propel Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the party's mercurial leader, to the prime minister's office.

Libya's mercurial leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, has refused to intervene, citing the independence of his country's judiciary.