August 2000

1

Katsav

Israel: Moshe Katsav takes office as president.

Ben-Ami

2

Israel: Foreign Minister David Levy resigns (effective August 4). Prime Minister Ehud Barak becomes acting foreign minister until August 10, when Shlomo Ben-Ami is named acting foreign minister.

4

Mádl

Hungary: Ferenc Mádl takes office as president.

Venetiaan

Suriname: Ronald Venetiaan is elected president with 37 votes in the 51-member National Assembly. Jules Ajodhia is elected vice president. They take office August 12. The new cabinet includes Marie Levens as foreign minister, Ronald Assen as defense minister, Humphrey Hildenberg as finance minister, and Urmila Joella-Sewnundun as interior minister.

7

South Korea: In a cabinet reshuffle, Jin Nyum replaces Lee Hun Jai as finance minister.

8

India: Former Karnataka chief minister (1956-58, 1962-67) Siddhavvanahalli Nijalingappa dies.
Sierra Leone: Former governor-general (1968-71) Sir Banja Tejan-Sie dies.

9

Erdenechuluun

Mongolia: The new government takes office. Luvsangiyn Erdenechuluun becomes foreign minister, Jügderdemidiyn Gürragchaa defense minister, Tsendiyn Nyamdorj interior minister, and Chultem Ulaan finance minister.

10

Malaysia: Selangor chief minister Abu Hassan Omar resigns. He is replaced on August 18 by Mohamad Khir Toyo.

Wickremanayake

Sri Lanka: Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike resigns. She is succeeded by Ratnasiri Wickremanayake.

13

Paraguay: In vice presidential elections, Julio César Franco wins over Félix Argaña, about 48%-47%.

16

Mejía

Tolentino

Dominican Republic: Hipólito Mejía takes office as president. Hugo Tolentino Dipp becomes foreign minister, José Miguel Soto Jiménez defense minister, Rafael Suberví Bonilla interior minister, and Fernando Álvarez Bogaert finance minister.

17

Grenada: Elvin Nimrod is named foreign minister.

18

Sanderson

Australia: John Sanderson is sworn in as governor of Western Australia.
Paraguay: Defense Minister Nelson Argaña resigns. He is to be replaced by Rear Adm. Ramón Ocampos Alfaro.

19

Ecuador: Juan Manrique Martínez is named to replace Antonio Andretta as interior minister.

21

Italy: Former foreign minister (1968, 1972-73) Giuseppe Medici dies.
Kuwait: Former British political agent (1957-59) Aubrey Seymour Halford-MacLeod dies.
Zambia: Former prime minister (1978-81) Daniel Lisulo dies.

22

Azerbaijan: Former president (1992-93) Abulfez Elchibey dies.
Somalia: Abdallah Derow Isaq is installed as speaker of the Transitional National Assembly and consequently becomes acting president.
Switzerland: Marina Masoni becomes president of the Council of State of Ticino.

23

Indonesia: A new cabinet is announced, including Prijadi Praptosuhardjo as finance minister and Mohamad Mahfud Mahmudin as defense minister, to take office August 26.

24

New Zealand: Dame Silvia Cartwright is named as next governor-general, to take office in April 2001.

26

Benflis

Algeria: Prime Minister Ahmed Benbitour resigns. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika charges Ali Benflis with forming a new government. He takes office August 27. Abdelaziz Belkhadem becomes foreign minister.
The Bahamas: Former prime minister (1967-92) Sir Lynden O. Pindling dies.

Hassan

Somalia: Abdiqasim Salad Hassan is elected president by the Transitional National Assembly, receiving 145 votes against 92 for Abdullahi Ahmed Addou on the third ballot. He takes office August 27.

27

Togo: Prime Minister Eugene Koffi Adoboli resigns, after parliament withdrew confidence on August 24. On August 29 Agbéyomé Kodjo is named prime minister. He takes office August 31.

28

China: Former chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Fujian (1973-79) Liao Zhigao dies.

29

Brazil: Former Espírito Santo governor (1962) Hélsio Pinheiro Cordeiro dies.
Congo (Kinshasa): Former foreign minister of Zaire (1975-76, 1986) and governor of Kinshasa (1978-80) and Shaba (1980-85) Mandungu Bula Nyati dies.

Vaillant

France: Interior Minister Jean-Pierre Chevènement resigns. Daniel Vaillant is named to replace him.

30

Botswana: In a cabinet reshuffle (effective September 1), Daniel Kwelagobe is named home affairs minister.

31

Papua New Guinea: Former administrator (1970-73) and high commissioner (1973-74) Sir Leslie Wilson Johnson dies.