But Labour aides have made clear they take the same position as constitutional experts and the former cabinet secretary Lord O'Donnell, who say there is no law giving the leader of the largest party the right to govern.
The last two tournaments – the 7-1 semi-final defeatoto Germany in the World Cup and the insipid quarter-final exit in the Copa America – have been humiliating for Brazil; making clear they're not taking this seriously, and so providing a pre-emptive excuse, may be an effective way of lifting the pressure.
Probably the greatest challenge to that takeover will now come from Islamist military leaders on the ground, such as the Tripoli commander Abdel Hakim Belhaj – kidnapped by MI6 to be tortured in Libya in 2004 – who have already made clear they will not be taking orders from the NTC.
Syrian rebels have made clear they will not take part without real improvements for their people on the ground.
Barack Obama and David Cameron have made clear they will take Vladimir Putin to task for Russia's discriminatory treatment of gay people during the G20 summit in Russia this week.
To various degrees, all the candidates have made clear they plan to take on not only Hamas, but its Iranian sponsors.
The subtext of the Israeli election has been even clearer: To various degrees, all the candidates have made clear they plan to take on not only Hamas, but its Iranian sponsors.
Organisers say the festival, scheduled for next month, will create "an open and democratic space for poetry, readings and dialogue", but leading cultural figures in the Muslim-majority territory are already saying the event is propaganda and several international Kashmiri writers have made clear they do not want to take part.
But others engaged in a give-and-take, making clear they wanted to see an end to violence and a start toward serious talks for peace.
To make things clear, they took their wheelbarrows and baby strollers, put their TVs in them, and took the TVs for a walk, too.
