And the winner is ...

A WIDESPREAD anticipation of a new era in relations with the United States spread around the world yesterday, even before the result of the US presidential election was known.

While the spotlight remained on Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama, government leaders steadfastly refused to bury the chances of Republican rival John McCain.

But British Prime Minister Gordon Brown highlighted the view that history would be made whoever wins and that the US would remain at the forefront of the fight against the global financial crisis.

"What I do know is that American leadership is going to be very important in the next critical time and I look forward to working with the next president whoever he is," Brown told Al-Arabiya television while on a tour of Gulf states.

"I think whatever the result of the American election ... history has been made in this campaign — the women coming to the fore, a black candidate coming to the fore.

"But it is for the American people to decide, it is their decision."

On Monday, Brown said that US leadership would be "central" to the future of the crisis-hit global economy and that the world would "want to work closely with America".

The new president will also have to quickly rejuvenate efforts to end conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East, and the exiled political supremo of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, said his Palestinian Islamist movement is ready for talks with any new US leader.

"Hamas is ready for dialogue with any incoming US president ... Democrat Obama or Republican McCain," Meshaal told Jordan's Al-Arab Al-Yawm daily.

"I am confident that we are ready to deal with any presidential candidate, but we will always stick to our rights. We acknowledge that the US is powerful, but we are more powerful on our territory."

Meshaal, who lives in exile in Syria, said Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by the US, "welcomes any change in US foreign policies ... We welcome any change to end favouritism towards Israel as well as aggression on the region."

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, an arch-critic of the US, said that an Obama victory would mean "a small light on the horizon".

If McCain wins, "we know what to expect: struggle and more struggle, resistance and more resistance," Chavez said in a speech.

He said it would mean a continuation of the policies of President George W Bush, who Chavez has accused of trying to topple him.

Obama would be "a small light on the horizon" for US-Venezuelan relations, he said.

"I hope Obama himself powers that light on," he added.

He predicted Obama would "win by a landslide" and he would be willing to meet Obama "with respect" and as "equals".

Chavez in September recalled Venezuela's ambassador to Washington and vowed not to send a new envoy until Bush leaves the White House on January 20.

Malaysia's foreign minister Rais Yatim also backed Obama, saying a victory for the Democrat would improve America's relations with the world.

"I hope Obama wins ... due to the need of the world to see the US represent a more cosmopolitan or universal political attitude and levels of relations," he told reporters.

"We have had the experience of sampling the Bush type of international politics and international dealings, so with Obama ... I could visualise that there would be many more windows open to the world to understand America and for America to understand the world better," he said.

Rais cited Obama's "experience of being in the east" when he lived in Indonesia as a youngster, his African roots and growing up in Hawaii as factors which could work in his favour.