"There was a peaceful handover of power between Allawi's government and Jaafari's, and that is unique in our history," said Haydar Farman, a 34-year-old engineer.

Nigeria has never yet managed a peaceful handover from one democratically elected president at the end of his constitutional term to the next.

The 1990s also saw the peaceful handover of Hong Kong and Macau to Chinese control under the formula of One Country, Two Systems.

He called for the town's peaceful handover.

India's strong diplomatic ties with France facilitated the peaceful handover of Pondicherry to India on 1st November 1954 without any opposition from France.

Representatives of Libya's National Transitional Council have agreed with elders for the peaceful handover of the town to their control, according to Bloomberg.

Laurent Kabila, the rebel leader, flew to Cape Town to meet with President Nelson Mandela in an effort to arrange a peaceful handover of power.

In 1945, Hersfeld was once again spared utter destruction, when two officers who had been taken prisoner guaranteed the town's peaceful handover.

Unfortunately, all proposals for a peaceful handover of power were rejected by Mr Gbagbo, who insisted on clinging onto power illegally.

Now there is increasing evidence that the peaceful handover in Prague in 1989 was orchestrated by members of the communist elite.