Rulers
January 1999
1
Andric-Luzanski |
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ivo Andric-Luzanski becomes president of the (Muslim-Croat) Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Brazil: The following new governors take office: Jorge Ney Viana Macedo Neves (Acre), Ronaldo Augusto Lessa Santos (Alagoas), Joaquim Domingos Roriz (Distrito Federal), José Ignácio Ferreira (Espírito Santo), Marconi Ferreira Perillo Júnior (Goiás), José Orcírio Miranda dos Santos (Mato Grosso do Sul), Itamar Franco (Minas Gerais), Jarbas de Andrade Vasconcelos (Pernambuco), Anthony William Garotinho Matheus de Oliveira (Rio de Janeiro), Olívio Dutra (Rio Grande do Sul), José de Abreu Bianco (Rondônia), Esperidião Amin Helou Filho (Santa Catarina), José Wilson Siqueira Campos (Tocantins).
Dreifuss |
Switzerland: Ruth Dreifuss takes office as president.
2
United States: Anthony Williams takes office as mayor of the District of Columbia.
3
Peru: President Alberto Fujimori names Víctor Joy Way as prime minister. In the new cabinet sworn in on January 5, Joy Way is also finance minister.
4
Cyprus: Defense Minister Giannakis Omirou resigns after his Socialist Party (EDEK) quit the governing coalition. On January 5 Giannakis Chrysostomis is sworn in as new defense minister.
United States: New governors Gray Davis (California), Jesse Ventura (Minnesota), and Kenny Guinn (Nevada) are sworn in.
Turnbull |
Virgin Islands (U.S.): Charles Turnbull is sworn in as governor.
5
São Tomé and Príncipe: Guilherme Posser da Costa is sworn in as prime minister. Alberto Paulino becomes foreign minister; João Bixigas, defense minister; Manuel Marcal Lima, interior minister; and Afonso Varela da Silva, finance minister.
United States: Jeb Bush is sworn in as governor of Florida.
6
Lesotho: Former prime minister (1993-94, 1994-98) Ntsu Mokhehle dies.
Ecevit |
Turkey: Yalim Erez abandons his attempt to form a government. The next day Bülent Ecevit, who failed in an earlier bid, receives another mandate. On January 11 Ecevit becomes prime minister, his cabinet including Hikmet Sami Türk as defense minister and Cahit Bayar as interior minister. He wins parliament's approval for his minority coalition on January 17.
7
United States: Mike Johanns is sworn in as governor of Nebraska.
8
Guinea-Bissau: A new cabinet is named, including Hilia Barber as foreign minister, Francisco Benante as defense minister, and Aboubakar Dahaba as finance minister.
Malaysia: Prime Minister Dato' Seri Mahathir bin Mohamad names Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as deputy prime minister and home affairs minister. Tun Daim Zainuddin is named as finance minister. Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar becomes foreign minister.
United States: Dirk Kempthorne is sworn in as governor of Idaho.
10
Kazakhstan: Nursultan Nazarbayev is reelected as president with more than 81% of the vote. Communist Party leader Serikbolsyn Abdildin comes second with 13.5%. Turnout is 86%.
11
Finland: Former prime minister (1970, 1971-72) Teuvo Aura dies.
United States: New governors Roy Barnes (Georgia), George Ryan (Illinois), and Bob Taft (Ohio) are sworn in.
12
United States: Bill Owens is sworn in as governor of Colorado.
13
United States: Jim Hodges is sworn in as governor of South Carolina.
14
Honduras: President Carlos Flores dismisses Foreign Minister Fernando Martínez. The next day Roberto Flores Bermúdez is named as foreign minister.
Japan: Takeshi Noda is appointed home affairs minister.
Nepal: Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala wins a confidence vote (136-40).
15
Burkina Faso: Youssouf Ouedraogo replaces Ablassé Ouedraogo as foreign minister.
Mongolia: Sharavdorjiyn Tuvdendorj is appointed as defense minister, and Yansanjaviyn Ochirsukh as finance minister.
United States: Tom Vilsack is sworn in as governor of Iowa.
16
India: Gujarat Governor Anshuman Singh becomes governor of Rajasthan. K.G. Balakrishnan becomes acting governor of Gujarat.
18
Grenada: In parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Keith Mitchell's New National Party, with 62% of the vote, wins all 15 seats.
United States: Donald Siegelman is sworn in as governor of Alabama.
19
Mithi |
India: Mukut Mithi is sworn in as chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh.
Mexico: Former Jalisco governor (1959-64) Juan Gil Preciado dies.
Slovakia: Prime Minister Mikulás Dzurinda's government survives a no-confidence vote (73-32).
20
Barbados: In parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Owen Arthur's Barbados Labour Party wins 26 of 28 seats (65% of the vote) and the Democratic Labour Party 2 (35%). Turnout is 63.1%.
21
Malaysia: Former chief minister of Negeri Sembilan (1969-78) Mansor Othman dies.
Romania: Interior Minister Gavril Dejeu resigns. He is replaced by Constantin Dudu Ionescu.
23
Gabon: President Omar Bongo names Jean-François Ntoutoume Emane as prime minister. In the new cabinet announced on January 25, Jean Ping is foreign minister, Ali Bongo defense minister, and Émile Doumba finance minister.
Arens |
Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sacks Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai (effective January 25). On January 26 Moshe Arens is named as defense minister and he is sworn in on January 27.
24
South Africa: Former administrator of Orange Free State (1980-91) Louis Johannes Botha dies.
27
The Gambia: President Yahya Jammeh appoints Ousman Badjie as interior minister, replacing Momodou Bojang.
28
Honduras: President Carlos Flores names Edgardo Dumas as defense minister.
29
Angola: President José Eduardo dos Santos abolishes the post of prime minister. The following day Pedro Sebastião is removed as defense minister and replaced by Gen. Kundi Paihama. João Bernardo de Miranda replaces Venâncio da Silva Moura as foreign minister. Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos becomes interior minister and Joaquim Duarte da Costa David finance minister.
30
United States: Former Virginia governor (1966-70, 1974-78) Mills E. Godwin, Jr., dies.
31
Japan: Former Ryukyu high commissioner (1966-69) Ferdinand T. Unger dies.
New Zealand: Bill English becomes finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle.
