April 2000

Michelotti

Marcucci

1

Wade

Niasse

Canada: Peter Irniq is sworn in as commissioner of Nunavut.
San Marino: Maria Domenica Michelotti (Progressive Democrat) and Gian Marco Marcucci (Christian Democrat) take office as captains-regent.
Senegal: Abdoulaye Wade takes office as president. He names Moustapha Niasse as prime minister, who takes office on April 5. Cheikh Tidiane Gadio becomes foreign minister, Youba Sambou defense minister, Mamadou Niang interior minister, and Moctar Diop finance minister.

3

McKinnon

The Commonwealth: Don McKinnon of New Zealand takes office as secretary-general.

Mori

Japan: Mikio Aoki is named acting prime minister to substitute for Keizo Obuchi, who suffered a stroke. On April 4 the cabinet resigns, opening the way for a new prime minister, Yoshiro Mori, to be appointed on April 5.

4

Czech Republic: Stanislav Gross is appointed interior minister.

5

Gibraltar: David Durie is sworn in as governor.

6

Tunisia: Former president (1957-87) Habib Bourguiba dies.

8

Nauru: Parliamentary elections are held. On April 13 parliament reelects René Harris as president, but he resigns on April 19 and Bernard Dowiyogo is elected president on April 20. On April 25 Dowiyogo names a cabinet including himself as foreign and finance minister and Anthony Audoa as home affairs minister.
Slovenia: Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek loses a parliamentary confidence vote. On April 20 an attempt to elect a new prime minister fails, when Andrej Bajuk wins the support of only 44 members of parliament, two short of the 46 needed to take over the government. In a second vote on April 26 Bajuk gets only 43 votes.

9

Algeria: Former interim president (1978-79) Rabah Bitat dies.
Georgia: In presidential elections, incumbent Eduard Shevardnadze wins 80.5% of the vote and Dzhumber Patiashvili 16.6%. Turnout is 70%.
Greece: In parliamentary elections, the Panhellenic Socialist Party of Prime Minister Kostas Simitis wins 43.8% of the vote (158 of 300 seats), New Democracy 42.7% (125), the Communist Party (KKE) 5.5% (11), and the Left Coalition 3.2% (6). In the new government sworn in April 13, Vasso Papandreou returns to her post as interior minister and other key ministers are also retained.
Peru: In presidential elections, incumbent Alberto Fujimori wins 49.9% of the vote and Alejandro Toledo 40.2%.

11

Thailand: Banyat Bantadtan is appointed interior minister.

12

Berzins

Latvia: Prime Minister Andris Skele resigns. On April 25 President Vaira Vike-Freiberga nominates Riga mayor Andris Berzins for the post.

13

South Korea: In parliamentary elections, the Grand National Party wins 133 of 273 seats, the Millennium National Party 115, the United Liberal Democrats 17, and other parties and independents 8. Turnout is 57%.

15

Cyprus: In presidential elections in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, incumbent Rauf Denktas wins 43.7% of the vote, Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu 30.1%, Mustafa Akinci 11.7%, and Mehmet Ali Talat 10%. Turnout is 81.2%. A runoff, scheduled for April 22, is cancelled when Eroglu withdraws on April 19, and Denktas is declared the winner.

16

Honduras: Former president (1978-82) Policarpo Paz García dies.
Malaysia: The raja of Perlis since 1945 and former paramount ruler of Malaysia (1960-65) Syed Harun Putra ibni al-Marhum Syed Hasan Jamalullail dies. On April 17 his son, Syed Sirajuddin ibni al-Marhum Syed Putra Jamalullail, is proclaimed raja of Perlis.

17

Canada: In Prince Edward Island elections, the Progressive Conservatives of Premier Pat Binns win 26 of 27 seats and the Liberals 1. In the Yukon Territory, the Liberals led by Pat Duncan win 10 of 17 seats, the New Democratic Party 6, and the Yukon Party 1.
Rwanda: Paul Kagame is elected president by a vote of government ministers and parliamentarians, defeating Charles Murigande by 81 votes to 5. He is sworn in April 22.

19

Amato

Italy: Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema resigns. On April 21 President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi asks Giuliano Amato to form a government. On April 26 the new cabinet is sworn in. Ottaviano Del Turco becomes finance minister, while Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini, Defense Minister Sergio Mattarella, and Interior Minister Enzo Bianco remain in their posts. The government wins a confidence vote in the Chamber of Deputies on April 28 (319-298).
Italy: Former president of Lazio (1976-77) Maurizio Ferrara dies.
Western European Union: Former secretary-general (1985-89) Alfred Cahen dies.

21

Belarus: Mikhail Udovikov becomes acting interior minister, replacing Yury Sivakou.

22

Bosnia and Herzegovina: The prime minister of the Muslim-Croat federation, Edhem Bicakcic, tenders his resignation but it is not accepted.

25

Bolivia: In a cabinet reshuffle, Gen. Óscar Vargas Lorenzetti is named defense minister and Guillermo Fortún interior minister.
Ecuador: Interior Minister Francisco Huerta resigns. Antonio Andretta becomes interior minister.

28

Piqué

Spain: The new cabinet is sworn in. Josep Piqué i Camps becomes foreign minister, Federico Trillo-Figueroa y Martínez-Conde defense minister, and Cristóbal Montoro finance minister. Jaime Mayor Oreja continues as interior minister.

29

India: Former governor of Manipur (1989-93) Chintamani Panigrahi dies.
Vietnam: Former prime minister of North Vietnam (1955-76) and Vietnam (1976-87) Pham Van Dong dies.

30

Denmark: Former prime minister (1973-75) Poul Hartling dies.